MXPA06007347A - Dual discharge trigger sprayer - Google Patents

Abstract

A trigger actuated fluid dispenser for simultaneously dispensing disparate fluids separately stored in separate fluid compartments of a container includes a mixing manifold for intimately mixing the fluids together and the nozzle assembly in which the mixture is channeled into a pair of spray nozzles through which the mixture of fluids issue as it sprays, upon simultaneous pumping of the disparate fluids by a single trigger actuator directing the disparate fluids along separate discharge paths to the mixing manifold.

Description

Published: - wiih inlemational search repon For two-leller codes and other abbreviations. refer to the "Guid-ance Notes on C? des and Abbreviations" appearing at the beginning-nor g ofeac regular issue of the PCT Gazeile.

DUAL DISCHARGE TRIGGER SPRINKLER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention generally relates to a dual discharge sprayer for simultaneously discharging different fluids separately stored in different fluid compartments and more particularly to said dispenser for simultaneously discharging a mixture of different fluids through separate discharge spray nozzles. .

US Patent No. 6,550,694 discloses a dual trigger sprinkler that mixes different fluids in a discharge passage as a spray through a single discharge opening. US Patent No. 5,535,950 also discloses a dual trigger sprinkler for simultaneously discharging disparate fluids stored separately as a mixture before distributing them through a single spray discharge orifice. These patents further describe a dual trigger sprinkler for simultaneously distributing separately stored fluids through the discharge passages and through a pair of separate spray discharge orifices to mix together on and before reaching the target.

The need arises to ensure intimate mixing of the fluids while discharging the mixture through separate discharge orifices to make the user aware of the spray discharge of the two different fluids. Sometimes, the user needs to remember that different fluids, such as water and a cleansing concentrate, are being sprayed. If the disparate fluids are mixed before the discharge through a simple orifice, the user may get confused, believing that only a single fluid is being sprayed. Otherwise, if the disparate fluids are sprayed separately through a pair of discharge orifices, the user becomes aware of the spray of disparate fluids except that the fluids can not mix satisfactorily after leaving the holes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a dual trigger sprinkler capable of simultaneously pumping different fluids stored separately through separate discharge passages and from the sprinkler as a mixture through a pair of fluid orifices. Separate spray discharge. The separated fluids pass through separate discharge passages and a unidirectional discharge valve in a mixing manifold having a single discharge opening. A nozzle coupled to the manifold has a pair of separate rotating mechanical assemblies through which the mixture is discharged as a pair of dew after the pump is actuated. The nozzle is mounted to the manifold to rotate between the open and closed discharge positions.

Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when taken together with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a side elevational view, partially in section, with a dual sprinkler incorporating the invention; Figure 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 2-2 of the Figure 1; Figure 3 is an expanded perspective view of the dual spray feature in accordance with the invention.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along line 4-4 of Figure 2 and Figure 5 is an elongated detailed view taken on arrow 5 of Figure 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Now with reference to the drawings wherein as reference characters refer to corresponding and similar parts through various views, the dual trigger sprinkler incorporating the invention is generally designated 10 in Figure 1 as included. in the pumping body 11 supporting a container closure 12 for mounting the dispenser to a dual compartment container 13 of the type described, for example in US Pat. No. 5,535,950, the entire description thereof being specifically incorporated herein by reference. The pumping body is covered by a veil 14 and contains a pair of pump pistons side by side 15 (only one shown) operating on a pair of side-by-side pumping cylinders 16, 17 to further define volume pumping chambers variable in a known way. A trigger actuator in the form of a single trigger lever 165 is mounted with a hinge to the pump body in engagement as in 17 with the pistons to simultaneously exchange the pistons in their bores against the force of the appropriate return springs 18 (only one shown).

The pump body further includes a pair of side-by-side discharge tanks 19, 21 respectively defining the discharge passages 22, 23 through which the disparate fluids stored in the separate compartments in the container are pumped under the drive of the pump. trigger in the same manner as described in the 5,535,950 patent. However, more than internal mixing of the sprayer and the fluid through a single discharge orifice in accordance with one embodiment of that patent or instead of flowing through separate discharge orifices and mixing externally from the sprayer in or before of striking the target in accordance with another embodiment of that patent, the separated fluids which may be water and a concentrate of chemical cleanser, exiting through the discharge passages 22, 23, which proceeds through a unidirectional discharge valve 24, 25 and then to a mixing manifold 26 mounted to the descending ends of the discharge tanks 21, 22. The separated fluids discharged to their respective unidirectional discharge valves enter the mixing chamber 27 of the collector via the respective ports 28, 29. provided in an ascending wall 31 of the collector. The first and second fluids are intimately and completely combined in the chamber 27 and issued therefrom as a mixture of fluids through the outlet port 32 located in the descending wall 33 of the manifold. The mixture passes in a chamber 34 defined by the sleeve 35 mounted on the outer face of the collector wall 33. From there, the mixture of the first and second fluids is discharged through the inlet port 36 of the nozzle assembly 37 into a chamber 38 thereof. Said chamber is defined by a pair of walls of space 39, 41 enclosed by an end wall 42. The inlet port 36 is located in the wall 39 and the outlet ports 43, 44 are located in the front wall 41 of the assembly. of the nozzle, as shown more clearly in Figure 5. The probes 45 extend from the outer wall 41 as surrounded by the support sleeves 46 in the wall 41. The probe 45 is located adjacent to each port 43, 44 which Open inside the sleeve 46 as shown. The sleeve 46 supports a hole cup 47 secured thereto and having a discharge hole 49. The probe extends into a central opening 49 of the bowl, the bowl having a longitudinal slot 51 opening in its central opening. The probe has a longitudinal slot 52 in communication with the slot 51, the slot 52 opening in a rotary chamber via tangential grooves 53. Reference is made to US Patent 4,706,888 for details of a rotary mechanism assembly provided to effect a rotary action of fluid moving through everything to send it through the discharge hole in the form of a spray. Otherwise, in rotating mechanical assembly may include tangents and a rotating camera on the inner face of the orifice cup confronting the end of a probe with flat tip without departing from the invention. And it is noted that each nozzle that is generally designated 50 in Figure 5 is representative of the nozzles formed in the outer wall 41 of the nozzle assembly.

The nozzle assembly further has a sleeve 54 (Figure 4) extending from its wall 39 around the sleeve 35 and engaging thereto by an appropriate annular groove / ring arrangement acting between the telescopic sleeves. In this way the nozzle assembly is coupled to the mixing manifold for rotation near its central axis.

A probe 55 may extend from the outer wall 33 of the manifold in a sleeve 56 extending from the rear wall 39 of the nozzle assembly. The exterior of the probe has a longitudinal groove 57 and the interior of the sleeve 56 has a longitudinal groove 58. In the selected rotary position of the nozzle assembly relative to the manifold shown in Figure 4, the slots 57 and 58 therefore equal the opening of a passage in the inlet port 36 allowing the mixed fluids to flow from the mixing manifold into the chamber 38 of the nozzle assembly. In another selected rotary position of the nozzle assembly (not shown), the slots 57, 58 therefore negate the locking communication of the chamber 34 with the inlet port 36 to thereby close the discharge.

In operation, with the pumping chambers closed with the respective disparate products to be discharged, under the actuation of the trigger lever 16 which simultaneously exchanges the pistons 15 in their cylinders 17, the first and second fluids are pumped through their passages of respective discharge 22, 23 through unidirectional discharge valves 24, 25 and into the mixing chamber 27 via the inlet ports 28, 29 where the disparate fluids are mixed intimately and completely and exit through the outlet port 32 as a mixing and in the chamber 38 of the nozzle assembly via the chamber 34 and the inlet port 39. This of course assumes that the rotatably movable nozzle assembly is selectively rotated in the open discharge position of Figure 4 with longitudinal slots 57 , 58 equalized as shown.

In the chamber 38 the mixture of the first and second fluids is divided and channeled into nozzles 50 via the outlet ports 43, 44. The mixture of disparate fluids is then sent through the discharge ports 48 of the nozzles after passing through the rotating mechanical assemblies as described above in which the mixture in both nozzles is rotated in the turning chambers thereof. The first and second combined fluids issued as dual sprays through the nozzles 50 establishing awareness in the user that different fluids are being discharged yet with the assurance that the disparate fluids have been thoroughly mixed before discharge. The separate cylinder / piston units and the separate discharge tanks provided by the respective disparate fluids keep the fluids in separate routes for the mixing manifold so that all the advantages are achieved as in the dual patented sprinkler in the 5,535,950 patent of the art. previous while at the same time the intimate mixing of the first and second fluids is carried out before being discharged as dual sprays of the fluids mixed together, combined. In addition, the life of the chemical fluid, for example, separately stored, is preserved and mixed with the other fluids is not carried out until the fluids are combined in the collector mixing chamber thus avoiding any separation of fluids in time , which would otherwise be combined before the discharge with the sprinkler.

From the foregoing it can be seen that a simple and yet highly effective dual sprinkler has been observed to provide intimate mixing of two different fluids before discharge through the separate spray nozzles as the sprays combine to provide the user with awareness that fluids separated are being downloaded.

Obviously, many modifications and variants of the present invention may be possible in light of the above teachings, for example, the mixing manifold is illustrated in exaggerated form which may otherwise be of a thin plate having an internal mixing chamber with input ports on its rising face and an output port on its descending face. The opening and closing of the discharge of the mixing manifold can be affected by any structure equivalent to that shown such as the provision of relatively sliding plates or the like between the mixing manifold and the nozzle assembly that opens and closes the inlet port for the nozzle assembly relative to the rotation of the parts. And nozzles 50 that produce dew can be of any equivalent structure of those shown, without departing from the invention. It is therefore understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

Claims (10)

1. A pump distributor operated with trigger to simultaneously distribute first and second liquids stored separately in first and second compartments for respective liquids comprising: a pump body having pumping mechanisms in communication with the fluid with said compartments for simultaneously sucking the liquid from the same and to discharge the sucked fluid to a mixing manifold; said pumping means include a pair of pump pistons side by side operating respectively on a pair of pump cylinders side by side; a trigger lever rotatably mounted to said pump body and engaging said pistons to simultaneously exchange said pistons in the actuator of the trigger and nozzle means in communication with said manifold having a pair of nozzles with discharge orifices for dual discharge of the combined fluids in the mixing chamber.

2. The pump manifold according to claim 1, wherein said nozzle means is mounted on a probe extending from said manifold for rotational movement between the open and closed discharge positions, said nozzles having atomization means for atomizing the discharge fluids. combined in the open discharge position.

3. The pump manifold according to claim 1, wherein said mixing manifold is located at a downward end of a pair of side-by-side discharge tanks through which the sectioned fluids flow in the actuation of the trigger.

4. The pump manifold according to claim 2, wherein the probe extends into a sleeve mounted in the nozzle means cooperating longitudinally with the grooves in the probe and sleeve aligning in the open discharge position and misaligning in the position closed discharge in the rotation of the nozzle means.

5. The pump dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said nozzle means includes a housing having a chamber with a simple input port in communication with said mixing manifold, said housing further having a pair of nozzle passages respectively terminating in a pair of discharge orifices of said nozzles.

6. The trigger-operated pump distributor for simultaneously distributing first and second fluids separately stored in a first and second compartments respectively, comprising a pump body having pumping means in communication with the fluid with said compartments for simultaneously sucking the fluids and to discharge the sucked fluid to a mixing manifold; said pumping means including a pair of pumping pistons from side to side operating on a pair of side-by-side pumping cylinders defining separate variable volume pumping chambers; a trigger actuator rotatably mounted to said pump body and coupling said piston for simultaneous exchange thereof; said pumping chambers respectively communicating with said compartments and with a pair of separate discharge passages located in said pumping body; a unidirectional discharge valve means associated with said discharge passages and nozzle means mounted in communication with said mixing manifold and having a pair of spray nozzles with discharge orifices through each of which a mixture of the first and second fluids are sprayed towards a target.

7. The pump manifold according to claim 6, wherein said nozzle means is mounted to said manifold to rotate it between the open and closed discharge positions.

8. The pump distributor according to claim 7, wherein said nozzle means and said manifold have equalization positions with the discharge openings that are aligned to open the discharge in a selected rotating position and which misalign to close the discharge in another Selected rotary position.

9. The trigger-operated pump manifold for simultaneously dispensing first and second fluids of first and second compartments separately stored, comprising: a pump body having pumping means defining separate piston cylinder units in communication with the fluids with said fluid compartments to suck simultaneously the fluid thereof and to discharge the sucked fluid; said pumping body having a pair of fluid passages respectively through which the first and second fluids are discharged; a manifold coupled to said passages for the reception of the first and second fluids through unidirectional discharge valves and for combining the first and second fluids in a combined mixture, the manifold having a simple discharge channel for the mixture and a nozzle in the The manifold having a pair of separate rotating mechanical assemblies in communication with said discharge channel through which the mixture is discharged simultaneously as the sprinkler.

10. The pump manifold according to claim 9, wherein the nozzle is mounted to the manifold for rotation between the open and closed discharge position.