SPRAY NOZZLE FOR ATOMIZING ANTI-MISFEEDING DEVICE
FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to spray nozzles for atomization devices. The present invention also relates to spray nozzles for atomization devices that incorporate anti-clogging characteristics. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] Typically, hair atomizing devices are either of the manually operated or of the aerosol type. Sprays formed from aerosols are based on a liquefied impeller to create the spray while manually operated pump sprinklers generate a hydraulic pressure that cuts the liquid in the nozzle in order to create ligaments and small droplets, that is, the Dew. One of the main problems that consumers face when using manually operated pumps is clogging. Binding typically occurs in the nozzle when the product dries behind and in front of the nozzle orifice insert, causing clogging that may be total or partial. Total clogging completely interrupts flow while partial clogging typically blocks one or several vortex fins resulting in a very irregular and thick spray. While atomization devices have been developed that incorporate anti-atascamier features. or, anti-clogging spray nozzles typically have few external design features, if any, because of the problem such characteristics present in the sense that they offer opportunities for the accumulation of product waste. Without such external design features, most spray nozzles are very simple and have a mechanical appearance, which tends to diffuse the impression of a directed discharge of the product instead of a smooth spray pattern. Accordingly, it would be desirable to offer a roll nozzle suitable for use in anti-clogging type atomizing devices that includes external design features while minimizing the likelihood of product accumulation. COMPENDIUM OF THE INVENTION The present invention offers a rolling nozzle with desirable attributes both aesthetic and functional. The roll nozzle includes a central hole and several blind recesses placed concentrically around the central hole, as well as an annular channel connecting all the blind recesses. The recesses and the channel provide, each individually, desirable aesthetic properties while in combination each reduces the probability of accumulation of product residue in the other. The recesses interrupt the smooth walls of the channel to divert the liquid product out of the channel before it can dry. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS While the specification concludes with claims that underline particularly and clearly claim the present invention, it is believed that said invention will be better understood from the following description in combination with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numbers identify elements identical, and in which: Figure 1 is an elevation view of an atomization device employing a rolling nozzle of the present invention; Figure 2 is an elevation view of the atomization device of Figure 1, turned 90 degrees about its longitudinal axis; Figure 3 is a plan view of the atomization device of Figure 1; Figure 4a is a perspective elevation view of an actuator employing a rolling nozzle of the present invention, showing a part of the locking mechanism; Figure 4b is an elevation view of the actuator of Figure 4a • showing the roll nozzle of the present invention;
Figure 4c is a cross-sectional elevation view of the roll nozzle of Figure 4b along the transverse line 4c-4c; Figure 5 is a plan view of a spray device closure suitable for use with the actuator of Figure 4a; Figure 6 is an elevation view of the closure of Figure 5, together with a cross section in elevation of the cover; Figure 7 is an elevation view of the covering corresponding to the view illustrated in Figure 2; and Figure 8 is an elevation view of the coating corresponding to the view illustrated in Figure 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring now to the drawings, Figure 1 illustrates an elevation view of a suitable atomization device for its use with a roll nozzle of the present invention. A container body 12, a cover 14, and an actuator 16 are specifically shown. The body of the container 12 is typically a one-piece plastic blow molded bottle, but may be made of metal, or of any other material known in the art. the technique, and can be elaborated in several parts if required. The actuator 16 and the cover 14 are typically injection molded plastic parts, but can also be made from other materials, and in various parts. The cover 14 hides an underlying screw closure, provides an anti-clogging cleaner 18, and also offers a novel and different appearance for a spray container. In this view, the roller nozzle of the actuator 16 faces against it the anti-clogging cleaner 18 which extends upwards from the top of the cover 14. This corresponds both to the position in which the actuator is locked and not the assortment can be produced, as to the position in which the nozzle is sealed by the anti-clogging cleaner 18 such that the product can not dry in the nozzle and clog it. A notch 20 indicates the unlocking position to which the actuator 16 is to rotate to supply the product; this position is approximately 80-90 degrees from the position of the anti-clogging cleaner 18 such that the cleaner
18 does not interfere with the user's fingers during operation. Figure 2 illustrates a front view of the cleaner 18, and Figure 3 is a plan view showing the positions of the cleaner 18 and the notch 20 at approximately 80 to 90 degrees therebetween. Figures 4a and 4b are enlarged views of the actuator 16, showing the roll nozzle 22 of the present invention inserted into a sleeve inside the actuator 16 and subjecting the fluid product to vortex to create a spray of a predetermined quality. In the actuator 16 there is also included a cut-out area 24 which extends about 80 to 90 degrees around the actuator skirt 26 to allow rotational movement of the actuator 16 between the locked position and the unlocked position. An actuator slot 28 provides the unlocked position and has a height equal to the stroke length of the pump. The side walls of the slit 28 may be slightly tapered to allow a retainer (38 in Figure 6) to easily pass into the slit 28. A tab 30 provides a "click" sound when the actuator 16 is placed in the locked position , to inform the user. The function of the cropped area 24 will be described in more detail below. Ribs 32 can be added to the side walls of the actuator 16 for better grip during rotation between the locked position and the unlocked position. As shown in Figure 4b, the roll nozzle 22 of the present invention includes several recesses 25 interconnected by a channel 23. The recesses 25 are "blind recesses" that is, they have only one open end on the face of the roll nozzle and they extend inward in the material of the nozzle. Such recesses do not work to supply any product, as they would if they were fully penetrating the nozzle material and exposing the product supply channel (s) behind the nozzle. The recesses 25 offer an aesthetic benefit from the consumer's perspective because they provide the visual impression of a showerhead with several small dispensing orifices, even though the product is only supplied through the central orifice. The recesses 25 are preferably placed substantially concentrically radially outwardly of the central hole and are preferably spaced substantially equally around the central hole. While in a preferred embodiment the recesses have a circular cross section in the plane of the nozzle face, the recesses may have any desired transverse shape. Any number of recesses can be employed according to their size and the number of other characteristics and surfaces of the nozzle, and eight recesses of a diameter approximately equal to the diameter of the central orifice have proven to be successful in practice. With reference to both Figure 4b and Figure 4c, the roller nozzle 22 includes a central hole 31, in fluid communication with a vortex chamber 21 and the internal fluid passages of the actuator. For some applications, depending on the product formulations and operating pressures, it may be desirable to omit a vortex chamber in favor of a more direct fluid path. The central hole 31 preferably extends outwardly from the nozzle face and is formed on a substantially conical surface 27 and is surrounded by said substantially conical surface 27 which culminates in a substantially planar surface 29 immediately adjacent to the center hole 31. The surface conical 27 and flat surface 29 interact with an anti-clogging cleaner 18 to form a tip seal that closes the central hole and prevents drying of the product within the fluid passages of the nozzle and the actuator. The roller nozzle 22 further includes a channel 23 which interconnects the recesses 25. The channel 23 offers an aesthetic benefit insofar as it breaks the otherwise flat geometry of the nozzle face between the base of the conical surface and the outer periphery of the mouthpiece, and tends to attract the attention of the person who is looking towards the recesses. In addition, the recesses serve to interrupt the smooth, otherwise smooth surfaces of the channel and are believed to help divert a liquid product out of the channel instead of allowing the product to settle within the channel. Therefore, while the recesses and the canal have individual and collective aesthetic qualities, it is believed that together they act synergistically to reduce the likelihood of product residue accumulation within these characteristics. Furthermore, it is also believed that the extension of the central hole outwards beyond the channel and the recesses reduces the accumulation of product residue in the orifice. While the channel can have any desired size, it is preferred that the channel be smaller in width and depth than the recesses in order to accentuate the appearance of the recesses. Dimensions of approximately half the width and half the depth of the recesses have proven to be successful in practice. While a preferred embodiment includes a single concentric annular row of recesses connected by a single concentric annular channel, it will be understood that the spray nozzles of the present invention according to the overall size of the nozzle can employ several concentric annular rows of recesses, each row being interconnected by a concentric annular channel, that the recesses of successive rows are radially aligned or not. By way of illustration only, a representative roll nozzle in the form of an insert in accordance with FIGS. 4b and 4c was injection molded from acetal resin, having a central bore with a diameter of approximately 0.016 inches, surrounded by a circular channel approximately 0.008 inch wide, with a depth of approximately 0.008 inch (fully circular at its maximum depth), and a diameter of approximately 0.130 inch (in the center). Eight blind recesses are provided, each with a depth of approximately 0.015 inch (flat bottom at maximum depth) and a diameter of approximately 0.015 inch, each chamfered on the external surface. While the roll nozzle 22 has been described with respect to a nozzle insert suitable for use with a button-type actuator, it will be understood that the principles of the present invention can also be applied to other nozzle configurations, such as for example nozzle constructions. unit. In addition, the spray nozzles of the present invention may find application also in pressurized aerosol impeller assortment systems as well as in manually operated assortment systems described herein. Figures 5 and 6 show plan and elevation views of the closure 34, respectively. The closure 34 is hidden by a covering 14 when the device 10 is in assembled condition. The closure 34 contains threads 36 that allow the closure 34 to be screwed into the body of the container 12. Threads 36 can be provided with some type of retainer (not shown) that engages a detent in the threads of the body 12 to allow retaining the closure 34 in a certain rotational position, in which the cleaner 18 is aligned with a mark on the body 12 at a predetermined position. In the inner hub of the closure 34 is an actuator retainer 38 which cooperates with a cutout area 24 in the actuator 16 to provide a locking / unlocking mechanism. The width of the retainer 36 corresponds to the width of the slot 28 in such a way that the retainer 38 can easily pass inside the slot 28 when the actuator 16 is in the unlocked position. The position of the upper part of the retainer 38 corresponds to the height of the slot 28 and the length of travel of the pump. A series of projections 40 are provided on the outside of the closure 34, which cooperate with fasteners 44 of the cover 14 to hold the cover 14 on the closure 34. The fasteners 40 may be positioned in such a manner that the cover 14 is fixed on the closure 34 only at a predetermined position when a specific orientation is desired between the closure 34 and the cover 14. Note that in figure 5 two of the projections 40 are at 90 degrees between them, while the third projection 40 is approximately 135 degrees from each of the other two. If the fasteners 44 are positioned to correspond to the pattern of the projections, the covering 14 can be fixed only on the closure 34 in a specific orientation. Figure 6 also shows a sectional view through the cover 14. Again, a specific predetermined placement of the fasteners 44 and projections 40 allows the cover 14 to be fastened over the closure 34 in a specific predetermined orientation. A cleaner 18 has a flange 46 at its tip, for engagement with the nozzle 22 when the actuator 16 is in the locked position. The actuator 16 slides up and down inside the sleeve 48 during actuation. Figures 7 and 8 show a coating 14 with markings 50 and 52, which can be provided to show the locked and unlocked positions of the actuator 16, respectively. When the actuator 16 is hit in such a manner that the nozzle 22 is in front of the cleaner 18, the device is in a locked condition. When the actuator 16 is turned, in such a way that the nozzle 22 is exposed above the notch 20, the device is in an unlocked condition. During assembly, the nozzle 22 is placed inside the actuator 16 using conventional devices. Similarly, a pump cartridge 54 (Figure 6) is placed in the closure 34 using conventional means. An actuator 16 is placed in the pump cartridge 54 such that it has an orientation corresponding to the locked position. This position places the actuator retainer 38 between the tab 30 and the surface 56 (FIG. 4a) when the actuator 16 is completely in the pump cartridge 54. Thereafter, the cover 14 is assembled in the closure 34 in such a way that the projections 40 are aligned with the fasteners 44; this places the flange 46 in contact with the nozzle 22 when the reinforcement 14 is completely in place in the device 10. This finished unit is then installed on the body of the container 12, after filling the body of the container 12 with the product. As previously stated, threaded seals can be used to orient the wiper 18 relative to a mark on the device in a specific predetermined orientation. To supply product, the actuator 16 is held using the thumb and forefinger, and is rotated in the opposite direction of the clockwise rotation in order to expose the nozzle 22 and place it in a location directly above the notch. 20. At this time, the upper part of the actuator retainer 38 moves past the tab 30 and along the surface 38, until the retainer 38 comes into contact with the surface 60. At this point, the retainer 38 is free to move up and down within the slit 58 when the actuator 16 is depressed, and the actuation can be carried out. When the actuator 16 is not depressed, the upper part of the detent 38 is in a position slightly below the surface 58. In the finished state, the actuator 16 can be rotated clockwise; when the upper part of the detent 38 passes the tongue 30, a perceptible "click" occurs which informs the user that the device 10 is in the locked state and that the nozzle 22 is sealed. In this position, the upper part of the detent 38 comes into contact with the surface 62 if a user attempts to press the actuator 16, and no dew occurs. Alternative embodiments of this device include the embodiments in which an actuator 16 is equipped with a male component instead of the female components illustrated in Figure 4; in this case, a closure 34 could be equipped with the female components corresponding to those illustrated in the actuator 16 in figure 4 instead of the retainer 38. Also, instead of providing the device in such a way that the actuator is rotated 16 to achieve locking and unlocking, the device can be provided in such a way that the cover 14 is rotated to achieve locking and unlocking. In addition, the seal between the flange 46 and the nozzle 22 can be achieved if both the nozzle 22 and the flange 46 are flat, if the nozzle 22 is convex and the flange 46 is concave, if the nozzle 22 is concave and the flange 46 convex , or almost any of the combinations of these various forms. U.S. Patent No. 5,56C, 544, which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a roll nozzle made with materials of reduced wettability. These materials ensure that the product has a tendency to form beads on the surfaces of the nozzle instead of coating the surfaces, thus reducing the incidence of clogging. Such materials can be employed with the present invention to improve the overall anti-clogging of the nozzle. While particular embodiments of the present invention were illustrated and described herein, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention and said invention is intended to encompass all these modifications that are within the scope of the invention presented in the appended claims.