NZ251119A

NZ251119A - Trigger operated pump sprayer: flap inlet and outlet valves

Info

Publication number: NZ251119A
Application number: NZ251119A
Authority: NZ
Inventors: Wilhelmus J J Maas; Petrus L W Hurkmans
Original assignee: Afa Products Inc
Priority date: 1992-02-24
Filing date: 1993-02-23
Publication date: 1996-01-26
Also published as: CA2130582A1; AU3795393A; GB2278891B; GB9416735D0; DE4390809T1; IL104785A0; IL104785A; WO1993016955A1; NL9320025A; GB2278891A; AU666183B2; MX9301007A; JPH07504145A; LU88524A1

Description

New Zealand No. International No. 2 5 1119 251119 TO 8E ENTERED AFTER ACCEPTANCE AND PUBUCATION Priority dates: *2.

Intemational filing date: 2.1 • *-• °»1 Classification: a^onoslit-o; Qos6nloo Publication date: 2 6 JAN 1996 Journal No.: NEW ZEALAND PATENTS ACT 1953 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION Title of invention: Flap valve assembly for trigger sprayer Name, address and nationality of applicant(s) as in international application form: AFA PRODUCTS, INC, a corporation organised under the laws of the State of North Carolina, of 1 Pine Street, Forest City,, North Carolina 28043, USA 2 51 1 19 kWO 93/16955 PCT/US93/02068 1 FLAP VALVE ASSEMBLY FOR TRIGGER SPRAYER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention.

The present invention relates to a trigger operated 5 dispensing device for mounting to the top neck of a storage container. Although such devices, known as trigger sprayers, can be reused, often times they are disposed of.

The trigger sprayer includes a body, and a pumping mechanism comprising a trigger movably mounted to the body, a 10 piston releasably coupled to the trigger and a cylinder in the body for receiving the piston for pumping fluid and defining a pumping chamber. The cylinder extends to a fixed back wall in the body, whereby the space between the back wall and the inner end of the movable piston defines a variable volume pumping 15 chamber. The cylinder has a fluid inlet valve and a fluid outlet valve associated with the back wall; The volume of the pumping chamber at the end of an ejection stroke of the piston is made as small as possible by making the inlet and outlet valves as first and second plastic 20 flap valves. 2. Description of The Prior Art.

Examples of previously proposed trigger sprayers having flap type valves and some being non piston type trigger sprayers which do not appear to have metal parts are disclosed in the following patents: U.S. Patent No. Patentee 4,819,835 Tasaki 4,618,077 Corsette 4,241,852 Pauls et al. 4,235,353 Capra et al. 4,225,061 Blake et al. 4,201,317 Aleff 4,155,487 Blake 3,973,700 Schmidt et al.

In the Tasaki U.S. Patent No. 4,819,835 there is disclosed a trigger sprayer having a primping mechanism including an inlet valve, an outlet valve, an intervalve chamber and a cylindrical collection chamber. A piston unit, in conjunction with a 4 0 trigger and a spring are used to vary the volume of the collection chamber. A .passageway connects the collection chamber with the intervalve chamber to establish a pressure 2 51119 ^ WO 93/16955 PCT/US93/02068 balance between those chambers. The passageway between both chambers is fairly small, compared to the size of the chambers, |l and therefore a pressure balance between the chambers occurs after the completion of an ejection stroke.

During the intake stroke, a vacuum is created within the collection chamber and communicates through the passageway to the intervalve chamber by moving the piston to increase the volume of the collection chamber. This vacuum forces an inlet ball valve open by lifting the ball to suck fluid from the 10 container into the intervalve chamber and through the passageway into the collection chamber. During the fluid ejection stroke the piston is moved to decrease the volume of the collection chamber and to increase the pressure in the collection chamber and the intervalve chamber. This pressure 15 lifts a fairly heavy exhaust valve body of the fluid outlet valve to open the fluid outlet valve and to eject the fluid into the atmosphere.

In the Corsette U.S. Patent No. 4,618,077 there is disclosed a pumping mechanism of a trigger sprayer including a 20 pump chamber enclosed by a cylindrical member with an inner cone top. The cone top fits tight in a conical end wall and incorporates a normally closed check valve. The check valve is in the top part of the cone top and closes an inlet port within the conical end wall by touching the wall. An accumulation 25 chamber is located between the conical end wall and the cylindrical member. A ring extending around the conical end wall and an annular flange on the outside of the cylindrical member seals an outlet port from the accumulation chamber to a discharge passageway in the trigger sprayer. A vacuum inside 30 the pump chamber opens the check valve and allows the fluid to pass through the inlet port into the pump chamber. The pressure inside the pump chamber is communicated to and establishes a pressure in the accumulating chamber which results in the moving of the annular flange on the outside of 35 the cylindrical member in an axial direction away from the ring extending around the conical end wall to allow the fluid to pass through the outlet port into the discharge passageway.

The Pauls et al. Patent No. 4,241,852 teaches a trigger sprayer with a resilient bladder enclosing an accumulation I 1 1 19 93/16955 PCT/US93/02068 3 chamber and a charging chamber enclosing a piston. The bladder has a relatively thin, flexible, forwardly projecting, cylindrical valve wall formed on the forward wall surface thereof and an annular radially inwardly directed flexible 5 valve ring is formed substantially coplanar with the forward end wall surface of the bladder. The cylindrical valve wall is received in a rearwardly facing wall of the charging chamber. A vacuum in the charging chamber pulls the flexible valve ring against an extension of the cylindrical wall of the charging 10 chamber to close it and lifts the far end of the cylindrical valve wall from its position in the rearwardly facing wall to create an opening towards the container to allow fluid to be sucked into the charging chamber. By establishing a pressure in the charging chamber the situation becomes reciprocated and 15 fluid is moved into the accumulation chamber.

In the Capra et al. U.S. Patent No. 4,235,353 there is disclosed a trigger sprayer having a pumping mechanism including a piston chamber and an accumulating chamber. The pumping mechanism is operated to pump fluid from the container 20 into the accumulating chamber by sucking the fluid via an inlet ball valve into the piston chamber and, subsequently, by forcing the fluid through an inlet flap valve into the accumulating chamber. When pressure in the piston chamber is higher than the pressure in the accumulation chamber, the inlet 25 flap valve is forced open for allowing fluid to enter the accumulating chamber. The incoming fluid increases the pressure inside the accumulating chamber against a moveable wall and a spring mounted therein. An outlet opening of the accumulating chamber is closed by an outlet flap valve. 30 To dispense the fluid into the atmosphere, the operator presses down on a discharge nozzle on a stem. The stem forces an outlet flap valve of the accumulating chamber open and the pressure and the spring biased piston inside the accumulating chamber pushes the fluid past the outlet flap valve into the 35 atmosphere. As soon as the operator stops pressing, the outlet flap valve is forced closed again.

The Blake et al. U.S. Patent No. 4,225,061 teaches a trigger operated dispensing device which includes a pliable valve element that is clamped between body components. The 251119 valve element is imperforate except for an opening through which a projection extends. One part of the valve element is located above a dip tube and normally closes an opening communicating with the dip tube. Another portion of the valve 5 element is received over an opening in the body behind a pumping chamber and between that opening and an outlet passage. The parts of the dispensing device are all fabricated of thermoplastic materials and molding resins.

The Aleff U.S. Patent No. 4,201,317 discloses a manually 10 operable dispenser pump which includes a compressible bellows which is compressed by a trigger. A thin shield extending from the bellows at the upper end thereof adjacent an outlet opening from a pump chamber normally closes the outlet opening. However, when the bellows is compressed to compress fluid in 15 the pumping chamber, the fluid pressure in the outlet opening pushes fluid past the thin shield and into an outlet waterway.

At the lower end of the pump chamber is a check valve which has an opening therethrough communicating with a dip tube and a plug or stopper member which is hingedly connected by a 20 living hinge to the body of the check valve.

The Blake U.S. Patent No. 4,155,487 discloses a trigger operated dispenser pump having a variable volume chamber defined by a flexible ball having a flange on its upper end which serves as a gasket and which can carry depending flaps 25 which form inlet and outlet check valves for the chamber. The flange and depending flaps which form inlet and outlet check valves can be a separate member in a trigger operated dispenser pump including a piston and cylinder.

The Schmidt et al. U.S. Patent No. 3,973,700 discloses a 30 bellows piston assembly in a trigger operated sprayer. Integral tabs extend from the top and bottom sides of the bellows inwardly of the bellows and include an inlet flap which, when raised, communicates the bellows chamber with an inlet dip tube, and an outlet flap valve which is open when the 35 trigger is squeezed and the bellows is compressed to allow liquid to move from the chamber to an outlet bore. 2 5 1119 WO 93/16955 PCT/US93/02068 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention there is provided a trigger operated pumping mechanism for a fluid dispensing device comprising: a body; a piston having a rearwardly facing 5 movable wall; a trigger movably mounted to the body; a piston being coupled to the trigger for moving the movable wall; the body having a hollow cylinder therein for receiving the piston, the hollow cylinder extending to a fixed back wall in the body, whereby the space between the back wall and the movable piston 10 wall defines a variable volume pumping chamber; the cylinder having a fluid inlet valve and a fluid outlet valve associated with the back wall; the valves being pressure controlled; and the volume of the pumping chamber at the end of an ejection stroke of the piston being made as small as possible by making 15 the inlet and outlet valves as first and second plastic flap valves which are each positioned opposite an opening in or adjacent to the back wall of the cylinder and by making the remaining space between the back wall and the movable wall at the end of the ejection stroke of the piston as small as 20 possible, thereby to facilitate the creation of high vacuum and high pressure during intake and ejection strokes of the piston and to facilitate priming with a minimum of strokes. 251119 6 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. l is a perspective view of a trigger sprayer constructed according to the teachings of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the trigger sprayer shown in FIG. 1 and shows a locking ring prior to its detachment from a cylindrical base of the sprayer body.

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the trigger sprayer in its at rest position where a spring between a trigger and 10 the sprayer body biases the trigger and a piston rod coupled thereto to the most outward position.

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the trigger sprayer similar to the view shown in FIG. 3 but showing the trigger fully depressed.

FIG. 5 is perspective view of a non-metal trigger sprayer spring assembly of the trigger sprayer shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a side view of the spring assembly shown in FIG.

. FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the spring assembly shown in 20 FIG. 5.

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of another embodiment of the spring assembly constiructed according to the teachings of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a side view of the spring assembly shown in FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a bottom plan view of the spring assembly shown in FIG. 8.

FIG. 11 is a vertical sectional view of the trigger and the piston connected to each other in the home or at rest 3 0 position.

FIG. 12 is a vertical sectional view of the trigger and the piston of FIG. 11 in a fully depressed position.

FIG. 13 is a side elevated view of the piston shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 14 is a top view of the piston shown in FIG. 13 and is taken along line 14-14 of FIG. 13.

FIG. 15 is a vertical sectional view of the piston shown in FIG. 14 and is taken, along line 15-15 of FIG. 14.

FIG. 16 is a vertical sectional view of the trigger alone. 2 5 1119 WO 93/16953 PCT/US93/02068 FIG. 17 is a vertical elevational view of the trigger shown in FIG. 16 and is taken along line 11-11 of FIG. 16.

FIG. 18 is a front elevational view of the front end of the sprayer body and a nose bushing that extends from the front 5 end of the body of the trigger sprayer shown in FIG. 2, but without a pull-away piece mounted at the end of the body.

FIG. 19 is a back elevational view of the nozzle cap of a nozzle assembly shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 20 is an exploded view in longitudinal vertical 10 section of the nozzle cap and nose bushing shown of the nozzle assembly shown in FIG. 2 with portions broken away.

FIG. 21 is a longitudinal, generally vertically sectional view of the nozzle cap and nose bushing coupled together as shown in FIG. 1, with portions broken away.

FIG. 22 is a vertical sectional view through the nozzle assembly shown in FIG. 1 after a pull-away piece is removed and is taken along line 22-22 of FIG. 21.

FIG. 2 3 is a vertical sectional view through the nozzle assembly, similar to the view shown in FIG. 22, but showing the 20 side walls of the sprayer body squeezed in to move two legs or prongs extending from the body out of blocking position relative to two lugs on the inner wall of the nozzle cap.

FIG. 24 is a front end elevational view of the sprayer body and the nose bushing that extends from the front end of 25 the body of the trigger sprayer shown in FIG. 2, similar to FIG. 18, but with a pull-away piece mounted at the front end of the body.

FIG. 25 is a perspective view of the pull-away piece mounted at the front end of the body and constructed according 3 0 to the teachings of the present invention.

FIG. 26 is a side elevational view of the pull-away piece shown in FIG. 25.

FIG. 27 is a vertical sectional back view of the pull-away piece and is taken along line 27-27 of FIG. 26. 3 5 FIG. 28 is an exploded side elevational view of the trigger sprayer bottle cap/bottle neck assembly of the present invention including a quick-locking bottle cap assembly of the present invention positioned over a mating bottle neck.

FIG. 29 is a horizontal sectional view through the bottle WO 93/16955 PCT/US93/02068 8 neck and is taken along line 29-29 of FIG. 28.

FIG. 30 is a perspective view of the locking ring. FIG. 31 is a fragmentary rear elevational view of the bottle cap/bottle neck assembly with portions broken away to 5 show the bottle cap/bottle neck assembly in vertical section.

FIG. 32 is a transverse vertical sectional view through the trigger sprayer bottle cap/bottle neck assembly. 2 5 1119 WO 93/16955 PCT/US93/02068 I 9 DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(8) Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, there is illustrated in FIG. 1 a perspective view of an all synthetic/plastic trigger sprayer 10 coupled to a bottle 12.

An exploded perspective view of the parts of the trigger sprayer 10 is shown in more detail in FIG. 2.

The trigger sprayer 10 includes a body 14, a nose bushing 16 at a discharge end 18 of the body 14, a nozzle tamper proof pull away piece 20, a top portion 22 and a hand gripping 10 formation 24 extending rearwardly from the top portion 22 of the body 14 and then downwardly to a cylindrical base 26 of the body 14. The base 26 is held by a locking ring 28 to a neck 30 of the bottle 12.

A trigger 32 having a front side 31 is pivotally mounted 15 to the body 14 by having two cylindrical pins 34, molded on the top end of two opposed side walls 36 of the trigger 32, inserted into two corresponding holes 38 in the body 14 of the trigger sprayer 10.

As shown in FIG. 2, a plastic spring assembly 40 is placed 20 between the body 14 and the trigger 32 to urge the trigger 32 always back into its home position. Coupled to the trigger 32 is a piston 42 having an outer piston rod 44 which connects with the trigger 32 and an inner cylindrical end 46 which is received in a cylindrical opening 4 8 in the body 14 for the 25 purpose of varying the volume in a pumping chamber defined in the opening 48.

The trigger 32, the spring assembly 40, the piston 42 and the cylindrical opening 48 form and define primary components of a pumping mechanism 49.

A valve intake stem 50 is received into the bottom of the cylindrical base 26 and has a dip tube 52 releasably fixed thereto and depending therefrom for insertion into the bottle 12.

A safe and child resistant sprayer/bottle connection is 35 provided and includes locking tabs 53 with lug receiving openings 54 formed in the cylindrical side wall of the cylindrical base 26 and locking lugs on the bottle neck 30 and locked in place by the locking ring 28.

When the molded sprayer body is removed from a mold, the 25111 WO 93/16955 PCT/US93/02068 locking ring 28, connected to the cylindrical base 26 of the body 14 by six links, points, fillets or webs 57 which are necessary for molding the locking ring 28 together with the body 14, is broken away from the cylindrical base 26 by 5 breaking the fillets 57 and moved upwardly on the base 26. During assembly of the parts of the trigger sprayer 10, the locking ring 28 is moved downwardly over the cylindrical base 26.

A nozzle assembly 58 is provided and includes a rotatable 10 nozzle cap 60 having a forwardly extending cylindrical extension 62. The nozzle cap 60 is mounted on the nose bushing 16 extending from a cylindrical portion 64 of the body 14 and includes an annular band 66 for holding the nozzle cap 60.

Three different positions of the nozzle cap 60, a STOP 15 position, a SPRAY position, and a STREAM position are provided.

When the nozzle assembly 58 is mounted to the body 14, a mounting block 67 of the piece 20 is snap fittingly received through an opening 68 in the top portion 22. At the same time, fork arms 69 of the piece 20 extend through notches 70 in the 20 top. portion 22 and/or notches 71 in the top wall of the cap 60 between one of two flexible locking legs or prongs 72 and the cylindrical portion 64 for securing the nozzle cap 60 in its STOP position, thereby ensuring a tamper proof and child resistant locking of the trigger sprayer nozzle assembly 58 to 25 the body 14.

The nozzle assembly 58 is mounted on the discharge end 18 of trigger sprayer 10, as described above. The top portion 22 ^ of the body 14 extends rearwardly to a rear end 73 of the hand gripping formation 24 and then slants forwardly and downwardly 30 from the rear end 73 to the cylindrical base 26.

The six contact fillets or webs 57 are uniformly distributed around the lower end of the cylindrical base 26 and are initially integral with the locking ring 28. During the molding process, the contact fillets or webs 57 are broken and 35 the locking ring 28 is moved upwardly relative to the cylindrical base 26. Later, when the locking ring 28 is moved downwardly on the base 26, an annular groove 74 within the locking ring 28 snap-fittingly mates with an annular rib 75 on the base 26. The upper position of the locking ring 28 is the 251119 WO 93/16955 PCT/US93/02068 pre-application-to-a-bottle position and the locking ring 28 is held in this position by frictional engagement of the inner wall of the locking ring 28 with the rib segments 76 provided on the outer cylindrical wall of the cylindrical base 26. The 5 upper, partially annular rib segments 76 on the outer cylindrical wall of the cylindrical base 26 locate and to some extent limit upward movement of the locking ring 28.

As shown in FIG. 3, molded within the cylindrical base 26 to a top wall 314 of the cylindrical base 26 is a small 10 diameter seal ring 316. The seal ring 316 is designed to seal against the inner diameter of the bottle neck 30. The seal ring 316 has a bevelled end 318 at its lower side to facilitate insertion of the bottle neck 30 into the base 26 and around the seal ring 316.

Within the inner area of seal ring 316 is an opening 32 0, having a shape according to the shape of the intake stem 50 which is generally oval in cross-section. The intake stem 50 is press-fitted into the opening 320 until ridges 322 on the intake stem 50 snap into mating mounting grooves on the inner 20 surface of the wall of the opening 320. In this way, an air tight seal is provided. The diptube 52 is releasably fixed in the center of the intake stem 50. The length of the diptube 52 depends on the size of the bottle 12. However, it is recommended that the diptube 52 should extend to the bottom of 25 the bottle 12 but shouldn't touch it.

The cylindrical opening 48 is located inside the body 14 of the trigger sprayer 10. The piston cylindrical end 46 fits tightly into the cylindrical opening 48 to create a pumping chamber 324 having a variable volume between a fixed back wall 30 326 of the cylindrical opening 48 and a rearwardly facing wall 328 of the piston cylindrical end 46. The fixed wall 32 6 of the pumping chamber 324 has an inlet flap valve 330 situated in the lower part thereof and an opening 332 in the upper part thereof. An orifice 334 through a wall of the intake stem 50 35 is located to mate or register with the inlet flap valve 330 and to establish an inlet passageway. The inlet passageway is provided by the hollow diptube 52, the intake stem 50 and the orifice 334.

The opening 332 is located to mate or register with an 2 5 1119 WO 93/16955 PCT/US93/02068 outlet flap valve 336 on the top side of intake stem 50. Inlet flap valve 330 and outlet flap valve 336 control the fluid flow into and out of pumping chamber 324.

The trigger 32 is pivotally mounted on the body 14 of the 5 trigger sprayer 10 by inserting the two laterally extending pins 34 on the upper part of the trigger 32 into the two corresponding holes 38 in the body 14.

As shown in FIG. 4, the plastic spring assembly 40 has a flat tapered end 410 press-fitted into a recess 412 in the body 10 14 located underneath an inner end of the cylindrical portion 64 of the body 14. Another end 414 of the plastic spring assembly 40 is placed in a trough-like space 416 in the back side of the trigger 32 against a back wall 415. The plastic spring assembly 40 is bent and remains under stress to urge the 15 trigger 32 always back into its home position.

FIG. 4 shows the trigger sprayer 10 with the trigger 32 pressed in by the operator. The pressure in the pumping chamber 324 opens outlet flap valve 336 so that the fluid can leave pumping chamber 324. At the same time, the plastic 2 0 spring assembly 4 0 is bent and stressed even more, but it is not stretched above its Hook limit, and the operator needs a maximum force to keep the trigger 32 pressed in.

After the operator stops pressing trigger 32, the plastic spring assembly 40 urges the trigger 32 together with piston 42 25 back into their home positions. While the piston 42 moves back, a vacuum arises inside the pumping chamber 324. This vacuum opens inlet flap valve 330 and sucks in fluid from the bottle 12.

When the fluid is sucked out of the bottle 12, and because 30 the bottle 12 and the trigger sprayer 10 connection is air tight, a vacuum arises within the bottle 12. To avoid a vacuum within the bottle 12, a venting system is provided. The venting system includes a vent hole 344 in the top wall 314 of the cylindrical base 26. This part of the top wall 314 defines 35 a wall area between the lower side of the cylindrical opening 48 inside body 14 of trigger sprayer 10 and a cylindrical cavity 346 within cylindrical base 26. When the trigger 32 is fully pressed in, vent hole 344 is opened and a fluid connection between the inside of the bottle 12 and the 251119 WO 93/16955 PCT/US93/02068 13 atmosphere is established so that air is able to get into the bottle 12. When the trigger 32 is not pressed in, e.g. when it is in its home position, the vent hole 344 is covered by the cylindrical end 46 of the piston 42 to close the vent hole 344 5 thereby preventing fluid from coming out of the bottle 12.

The pumping chamber 324 is designed so that, the "dead volume", i.e. the minimum volume of the pumping chamber 324, is very small, 1/20 to 1/4 the full volume of pumping chamber 324. With a small dead volume, only a very little amount of the 10 fluid or air is left in the pumping chamber 324, after the trigger 32 is fully pressed in. This construction minimizes the size of compressible air space inside the pumping chamber 324 and allows the trigger sprayer 10 to build higher compression against the flap valve 33 0 during the priming of 15 the trigger sprayer 10. This minimized "dead volume" provides for quicker priming of the trigger sprayer 10 and higher vacuum and high compression during the intake and ejection strokes.

Another effect of the small "dead volume" is that the pumping chamber 324 is filled up with fluid very quickly 20 therefore reducing the number of initial strokes required to prime the trigger sprayer 10.

An outer end 510 of the piston rod 44 has a transversely located cylinder 512. The cylinder 512 is located transversely to the longitudinal axis of the piston rod 44 between legs 513 and has an axially extending V in cross section slot 514 in the 5 middle thereof for receiving a pivot edge 516 at the vertex of a V in-cross-section outer end of a hook member 517 extending between the sides 36 of the trigger 32. The hook member 517 is part of a bearing formation 518 which is provided on the backside of trigger 32 between the sides 36 and which has an 10 opening 519 through which the outer end 510 is received. The cylinder 512 engages in the bearing formation 518 of the trigger 32 and the sides of the V shaped slot 514 act as (or form) stops to limit the rotational freedom of the connected parts.

The arc subtended by or the angle at the vertex of the "V" of the V shaped slot 514 is substantially greater than the arc subtended by or the angle at the vertex of the "V" of the V in-cross-section outer end of the hook member 517 to permit the V- 2 5 1119 WO 93/16955 PCT/US93/02068 14 shaped fulcrum end portion to rotate on the V-shaped pivot seat during movement of the trigger from its home position to its fully squeezed in position.

The bearing formation 518, in combination with the V 5 shaped slot 514, establish a movable trigger 32 - piston 42 connection with limited, but sufficient, rotational freedom. This enables the piston 42 to be moved within the pumping chamber 324 while being pivotally connected to trigger 32 in a simple and efficient manner.

The bearing formation 518 includes two rounded bearing seating surfaces 520 adjacent the inner side of each side 36 of the trigger 32 and between one side 36 of the trigger 32 and the hook member 517 at the top of the opening 519 and between 5 one side 36 and a slot 521 on the bottom of the opening 519. The cylindrical ends of the cylinder 512 seat and rotate on these bearing surfaces 520.

Referring now to FIGS. 5, 6 and 7, the spring assembly 40 includes two leaf springs 610 and 612 which are connected 10 together at each end by a webbing 614 or 616. As shown in FIG. 6 the two springs 610, 612 are bowed slightly to form an upper bowed spring 610 and a lower bowed spring 612. Each of these elongate springs 610, 612 are molded integral to each other and then a separation or split 618 between them is formed by a 15 splitting process or cutting process. Alternatively, the spring assembly 40 can be a one piece molding comprising two blade springs connected together at each end. Further, as shown, each spring 610 and 612 is beveled at its ends as indicated by reference numerals 620 and 621 for spring 610 20 adjacent to the respective webbing 614 or 616. Likewise the lower elongate leaf spring 612 is beveled at 622 and 623 to the hinge or webbing 614 or 616 as shown.

Also, as best shown in FIG. 7, the end portions of each spring 610, 612 are tapered toward the webbing 614 or 616 and 25 each spring 610, 612, is wider in a middle portion indicated by reference numeral 625.

The lower elongate leaf spring 612 has a notch 626, 627 formed at each end thereof to define a shoulder 628 or 629. The spring assembly 40 with the ends of the springs 610 30 and 612 formed in the manner described above define the mirror- 251 1 1 9 WO 93/16955 PCT/US93/02068 image ends 410 and 414, each of which is configured to fit into the recess 412 with the shoulder 628 or 629 being adapted to engage or hook with a shoulder adjacent the lower outer end of the recess 412 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

The leaf springs 610, 612 are made of glass fiber reinforced plastic material such as a mixture of polypropylene and polyamide (nylon) plus 30% by weight glass fibers.

Another embodiment of a spring assembly 640 constructed according to the teachings of the present invention is shown in 10 FIGS. 8, 9 and 10. The spring assembly 640 has opposite ends 642 and 644, only one of which, the end 642 is adapted to be received in the recess 412. The spring assembly 640 includes an upper or elongate blade or leaf spring 646 and a lower elongate blade or leaf spring 648.

The ends 642 and 644 of the leaf springs 646 and 648 of the spring assembly 640 are beveled and tapered as in the spring assembly 40 shown in FIGS. 5-7. At the end 642, which is received in the recess 412, a hinge or web connection 650 is provided between the leaf springs 646 and 648. However, at the 20 other end 644 the leaf springs 64 6 and 648 are connected by a cylindrical loop 652. The loop 652 is compressed when the trigger 32 is pushed against the outer surface of the blade leaf spring 646 adjacent the end 644 of the spring assembly 640.

As best shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the lower leaf spring 648 has only one notch 654 on the outer surface thereof adjacent the end 642. Also, spaced inwardly of the notch and extending downwardly from the outer surface of the blade 648 is a small post 656 which serves to limit inward movement of the spring 30 assembly into the recess 412 and to limit downward movement of the spring assembly 640 in use.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the spring assembly 40 or 640 is received between the bearing formation 518 and the back side 415 of the front wall 31 of the trigger 32 with the end 410 or 35 642 received in the recess 412 and the outer surface of the upper blade 610 or 646 bearing against the inner wall surface 415 of the front wall 31 of the trigger 32 in the trough area 416.

In use, the spring action is obtained by positioning the 2 51119 WO 93/16955 PCT/US93/02068 16 end 410 or 642 in the recess 412, by positioning the spring assembly 40 or 64 0 in the trough area 416 and between the bearing formation 518 and the back side 415 of the front wall 31 of the trigger 32, and by the sliding action of the outer 5 surface of the blade 610 or 646 adjacent end 414 or 644 against the back side 415 of the front wall 31 of the trigger 32.

Referring now to FIG. 18, which is a front elevational view of the nose bushing 16, it will be apparent that the nose bushing 16 includes a cylindrical extension 702 having an inner 10 cylindrical cavity 704. The cylindrical extension has a first slot 706 through the cylindrical wall thereof which is a so-called tangential slot for directing liquid tangentially into the cylindrical cavity 704 and has a second, so-called radial, slot 708 for directing liquid radially into the cylindrical 15 cavity 704.

The cylindrical extension 702 is small-in-diameter and is located coaxially with an outer cylinder 710 having a larger diameter. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 18, the smaller cylindrical extension 702 extends outwardly from a web 712 of 20 material which fixes the cylindrical extension 702 in the position shown and defines between, an inner wall 714 of the outer cylinder 710, two waterways 720 and 722 which communicate liquid to be sprayed in a SPRAY or STREAM to the tangential slot 706 or to the radial slot 708.

Also, it will be apparent from FIG. 18 that the top of the body 14 between the slots 70 has a tab extension 726 which extends partially into a locating slot 728 in the back underside of a top side wall 73 0 of the nozzle cap 60 as shown in FIG. 19.

With reference to FIG. 19, it will be seen that the nozzle cap 60 has a generally square configuration with the top side wall 730 having STOP indicating indicia. A left side wall 734 has SPRAY indicating indicia thereon and a right side wall 738 which has STREAM indicating indicia.

Also, the nozzle cap 60 has a bottom wall 742, as shown in FIG. 19.

Within the envelope of the forward portions of the walls 730, 734, 738 and 742 and extending rearwardly from a front wall 744 of the nozzle cap 60 is a first outer cylinder 746 251119 # WO 93/16955 PCT/US93/02068 17 which is adapted to receive therein the outer cylinder 710 of the nose bushing 16. Then, also extending rearwardly from the front wall 744 within the outer cylinder 746 is a smaller-in-diameter cylinder 748 having a slot 750 extending radially 5 therethrough which is adapted, upon selective rotation of the nozzle cap 60, to mate with either the tangential slot 706 or the radial slot 708 in the cylindrical extension 702. The smaller-in-diameter cylinder 748 is adapted to be received over the cylindrical extension 702.

In a manner which is conventional in the art, when the nozzle cap 60 is rotated counterclockwise 90° from the STOP position to the SPRAY position, liquid in the waterway 720 will pass through the slot 750 and through the mating slot 706 into the cylindrical cavity 704 and in a swirl forwardly to an 15 outlet orifice 752 in the front wall 744 of the nozzle cap 60.

In a similar manner, when the nozzle cap 60 is rotated clockwise 90° from the STOP position to the STREAM position, the slot 750 in the wall of the cylinder 748 will mate or register with the radial slot 708 whereby liquid can flow from 20 the waterway 722 through the slot 750 and through the slot 708 radially into the cylindrical cavity 704 and then axially forwardly and out of the orifice 752.

In this way, in a manner similar to previously proposed nozzle assemblies, liquid can be directed through the waterways 25 720 and 722 to selectively aligned, axially extending or radially extending, slots for communicating liquid in a swirl or in an axial path to the orifice 752 for effecting a desired discharge of liquid in either a conical spray or mist-like discharge or in a substantially axial STREAM type discharge. 3 0 Also, it will be understood that different formations can be utilized for effecting the mating of one or more tangential slots through a radial slot to a waterway or one or more radial slots to a radial or longitudinal slot and thence to a waterway, as disclosed in the Quinn et al U.S. Patent No. 35 4,234,128 or the Dobbs et al U.S. Patent No. 4,706,888, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Also in FIG. 19, there is illustrated a first formation 754 in the lower area on .the inside of the side wall "734. This formation 754 defines a lug, boss or detent 754 that extends * 18 •2,2UJl 1 9 angularly upwardly and inwardly from the wall 734 inside the nozzle cap 60 to an edge or catch 755. In like manner, a lug, boss or detent 756 in the lower area of the wall 738 extends inwardly from the wall 738 inside the nozzle cap 60 to an edge 5 or catch 757.

As will be described in greater detail hereinafter, the lugs 754 and 756 normally are positioned in the nozzle assembly 58 beneath the legs or prongs 72.

The blocking engagement of the legs or prongs 72 relative 10 to the lugs or projections 754 and 756 normally prevents rotation of the nozzle cap 60 of the nozzle assembly 58 until the pull-away piece 20 is pulled away to remove the fork arms 69 from the locking position of each fork arm 69 between the cylindrical portion 64 and a leg or prong 72, and unless and 15 until a user squeezes the side walls of the body 14 in the side wall areas 780 and 782 at the same time the user rotates the nozzle cap 60.

The blocking position of the prongs 72 is shown in FIG. 22. Then, as shown in FIG. 23, when the wall areas 780 and 782 20 of the body 14 are squeezed or pushed inwardly to move the legs or prongs 72 toward the cylindrical portion 64 and out of blocking or catching engagement with the lugs 754 and 756, the nozzle cap 60 can be rotated clockwise or counterclockwise, as shown in phantom in FIG. 23.

As shown in FIG. 23, after the wall areas 780 and 782 are squeezed to move the legs 72 out of blocking engagement with respect to the lugs 754 and 756, particularly the lug 754, the nozzle cap 60 can be rotated counterclockwise 90° to the SPRAY position.

In this position, the waterways 720 and 722 communicate through the slot 750 and the slot 706 to the cylindrical cavity 704 for effecting a swirl of liquid to the outlet orifice 752 in the front wall 744 of the nozzle cap 60 thereby to effect the SPRAY , mist or fog-like discharge of liquid from the 35 nozzle cap 60.

When the nozzle cap 60 is rotated clockwise 90° after the prongs or legs 72 have been squeezed inwardly, the lug or projection 756 then can .move past the leg 72.

Each lug 754, 756 has an upper surface 760 extending to a 251 1 1 9 WO 93/16955 PCT/US93/02068 19 surface 762 that is close to parallel to the plane of the side wall 734 or 738, the intersection of these surfaces 760, 762 being the edge or catch 755 or 757.

It will be noted that the extension tab 726 having 5 inclined side edges 784 and 786 is adapted to engage on one side or the other the lug 754 or the lug 756 to prevent further rotation of the nozzle cap 60, counterclockwise or clockwise thereby to ensure that the nozzle cap 60 can only be moved from the STOP position to the SPRAY position or from the STOP 10 position to the STREAM position.

With reference to FIGS. 2 and 24, it will be understood that the mounting block 67 of the pull-away piece 20 has a generally rectangular planar body 801 and is pressed downwardly after placement over the top portion 22 to snap-fittingly lock 15 the mounting block 67 in the opening 68 in the top portion 22 of the body 14. At the same time, the fork arms 69, each having a curved inner surface 802, are received through the spaced apart slots or notches 70 in the top portion 22 at the front end thereof and through the slots or notches 71 in the 20 rear edge of the top wall 730 of the nozzle cap 60, with the curved surfaces 802 being received around the cylindrical portion 64 of the body 14 and having lower ends 804 received between the cylindrical portion 64 and the spaced apart legs or prongs 72.

With the lower ends 804 of the fork arms 69 positioned in this manner, inward movement of the legs or prongs 72 when the wall areas 780 and 782 of the body 14 are squeezed is prevented.

As a result, if one tried to rotate the nozzle cap 60, 30 such rotation is prevented, on the one hand by the fork arms 69 extending through the mating slots or notches 70 and 71 in the top wall portion 22 of the body 14 and the top wall 730 of the nozzle cap 60 and, on the other hand, by the blocking position of the fork arms 69 which prevent inward movement of the prongs 35 72 to enable the lugs 754 and 756 to be moved past the prongs 72 upon either clockwise or counterclockwise attempted rotation of the nozzle cap 60.

As best shown in FIG. 25, the pull-away piece 20 has at the front end thereof a rectangular recess 806 which is adapted 2 5 1119 WO 93/16955 PCT/US93/02068 to be received over the extension tab 726. The curved surfaces 802 extend downwardly and laterally on the inner side of the fork arms 69 from the edges of the rectangular recess 806.

A top rear portion or pull tab 808 of the pull-away piece 5 2 0 has PULL indicia 810 thereon.

Further, to facilitate pulling of the pull-away piece 20, the rear underside of the pull tab 808 is beveled upwardly at 812 as shown in FIG. 26.

The mounting block 67 is positioned below the planar body 10 801 of the pull-away piece 20 beneath a recess 815 in the planar body 801 and is connected to front and back edges 816, 817 of this recess 815 by three webs or fillets 818, as best shown in FIG. 27.

The mounting block 67 has a curved lower surface 820 with 15 a central longitudinally extending slot 822 separating the mounting block 67 into left and right prong portions 824 and 826. Each prong portion 824 and 826 has an inclined surface 828, 830 which inclines upwardly and laterally outwardly from the curved surface 820 to a shoulder 832, 834, as best shown in 20 FIG. 27.

It will be understood that when the mounting block 67 is pushed downwardly through the opening 68, the inclined surfaces 828 and 83 0 engage the sides of the opening 68 and the slot 822 allows the prong portions 824 and 826 to be deflected inwardly 25 until the shoulders 832 and 834 are moved past lower side edges 835 and 836 of the opening 68 and snap into a locking position beneath the top wall portion 22 of the body 14 adjacent the side edges 835, 836 of the opening 68. The curved surface 820 will then rest upon the upper surface of the cylindrical 30 portion 64 perhaps with a slight interference fit between the cylindrical portion 64 and the underside of the top wall surface 22.

As shown in FIG. 26, the planar body 801 has a transverse groove 840 in a lower surface 842 thereof to facilitate bending 35 of the pull tab 808.

The pull-away piece 20 provides tamper evident structure for the nozzle assembly 58. In this respect, if the pull-away piece 20 is broken or missing, that is evidence that the nozzle assembly of the trigger sprayer has been tampered with. 2 511 19 WO 93/16955 PCT/US93/02068 21 In use, a user will grip the pull tab 808 at the rear end of the break away piece 20 and pull upwardly, with the bevel 812 facilitating gripping of the pull tab 808 and the transverse groove 840 facilitating bending of the pull tab 808 5 upwardly. As the pull tab 808 is pulled upwardly, first the webs or fillets 818 at the back edge 817 of the recess 815 are broken followed by breaking of the webs or fillets 818 at the front edge 816 of the recess 815. After the webs or fillets 818 are broken, the pull-away piece 20 can be easily removed 10 from the sprayer body to remove the fork arms 69 from the mating slots or notches 70 and 71 and to remove the lower ends 804 of the fork arms 69 from a blocking position between the cylindrical portion 64 and the legs or prongs 72 to enable a user to use the trigger sprayer 10.

Referring now to FIG. 28, there is illustrated therein the locking ring 28 before it is detached from the cylindrical base 26 by breaking the fillets 57. The cylindrical base 26 and the locking ring 28 form a bottle cap assembly 902 constructed according to the teachings of the present invention which 20 together with a tubular portion 904 of the bottle neck 30 form a bottle cap/bottle neck assembly 906.

The locking ring 28 is broken away by twisting same relative to the cylindrical base 26 and then is moved upwardly as indicated by the arrows and as shown in phantom frictionally 25 engaging the locating rib segments 76. In this position, the cylindrical base 26 and the locking ring 28 are ready for being pressed downwardly upon the bottle neck 904 and the locking ring 28 temporarily is held in place by its frictional engagement with the rib segments 76.

As shown, the cylindrical base 26 has a cylindrical wall portion 908 having a pair of spaced apart upwardly extending slots 911 and 912 formed therein on each side of the sprayer body 14 so as to define therebetween two of the locking tabs 53. At the upper end of each locking tab 53 is a line area of 35 reduced thickness 914 to provide a hinge 914 whereby each locking tab 53 can be flexed inwardly or outwardly relative to the cylindrical wall 908 of the cylindrical base 26.

The lug receiving opening 54 in each tab 53 is generally rectangular as shown. There is provided beneath the opening 54 2 5 1119 WO 93/16955 PCT/US93/02068 | 22 on each locking tab 53 an outwardly extending flange 916 having an inclined lower surface 917 which inclines upwardly and outwardly from the bottom of the tab 53 to an outer surface 918. A top surface or shoulder 919 extends horizontally 5 radially outwardly from the tab 53 to the outer surface 918 and faces upwardly.

The bottle neck 904 is generally tubular in shape and has an outer cylindrical surface 920 and an annular top edge 922. A conventional thread 924 is provided on the cylindrical outer 10 surface 920.

Beneath the thread 924 on the outer cylindrical surface 920 is an annular rib 926 having, on diametrically opposite sides of the outer cylindrical surface 920, locking lugs 928 which are generally rectangular in shape with a lower 15 horizontally extending shoulder 930 and an upper inclined surface 932 which inclines downwardly from the outer cylindrical surface 920. Each of the lugs 928 is generally rectangular in shape and located circumferentially to the side of and on each side of each lug 928 is a stop post 934 which 20 serve to locate the locking tabs 53 when they are pushed down over the locking lugs 928.

As shown in FIG. 30, the locking ring 28 has the annular groove 74 formed on the inner cylindrical surface 940 thereof. The groove 74 is adapted to receive the annular rib 75 in a 25 snap-fitting manner when the locking ring 28 is moved down over the cylindrical base 26. 0 As shown in FIG. 31, the cylindrical wall 908 of the base 26 has an inner cylindrical surface 942 which is received over the tubular portion 904 and which is typically unthreaded, as 3 0 shown.

The cylindrical wall 908 extends to a top wall 944 of the cylindrical base 26. Inwardly of the cylindrical surface 942 is a sealing ring 948 which has a lower outer beveled edge 950 and which extends downwardly from the top wall 944 and is 35 adapted to be received frictionally within tubular inner surface 954 of the tubular portion 904 of the bottle neck 30, as shown in FIG. 31.

Also as shown in FIG. 31, the locking ring 28 has a lower beveled or recessed inner surface 960 which is received over 2 5 1119 WO 93/16955 PCT/US93/02068 any protruding portion of the flanges 916 when the locking ring 28 is positioned over the tabs 53.

As shown in FIG. 31, the cylindrical base 26 with the locking ring 28 held in a raised position (FIG. 28) is pressed 5 downwardly over the tubular portion 904 of the bottle neck 30 to press the sealing ring 948 within the inner surface 954 and at the same time push the tabs 53 downwardly over the inclined surface 932 of each of the locking lugs 928 until each locking lug 928 snaps into one of the openings 54 in one of the locking 10 tabs 53. Then, the locking ring 28 is moved downwardly with the inner surface 940 thereof frictionally engaging the ribs 76 until the rib 75 is snap fittingly received in the annular groove 74 where the locking ring 28 is detachably locked in place against vertical movement of the locking ring 28 with the 15 rib segments 76 being located adjacent the upper annular edge of the locking ring 28. This locking relationship is shown in FIG. 31.

The bottle neck/bottle cap assembly 906 shown in FIG. 31 and 10 provides a quick, push on, coupling of the bottle cap 20 assembly 902 onto the bottle neck 30 and the engagement of the locking lugs 928 with the openings 54 in the locking tabs 53 prevents vertical movement of the cylindrical base 26 off of the bottle neck 30, locates the trigger sprayer 10 in a desired relationship with the bottle 12 and prevents relative 25 rotational movement between the cylindrical base 26 and the bottle neck 30.

Claims

<x If 251119 WO 93/16955 & PCT/US93/02068r 5 10 15 20 25 30 AMENDED CLAIMS [received by the International Bureau on 22 June 1993 (22.06.93); original claims 1-3 amended; other claims unchanged (2 pages)]

1. (Amended) A trigger operated pumping mechanism for a fluid dispensing device pumping mechanism comprising a body, said pumping mechanism comprising: a piston having a rearwardly facing movable wall; a trigger movably mounted to said body; said piston being coupled to said trigger for moving said movable wall; said body having a hollow cylinder therein which receives said piston and which extends to a fixed back wall in said body, whereby the space between said back wall and said movable piston wall defines a variable volume pumping chamber; said cylinder having a fluid inlet valve and a fluid outlet valve associated with said back wall; said valves being pressure controlled; and the volume of said pumping chamber at the end of an ejection stroke of said piston being minimized by constructing and arranging said inlet and outlet valves as plastic flap valves which are each located in or adjacent to said back wall of said cylinder for arcuate movement about a hinge line and by constructing and arranging said movable wall and said cylinder to have a minimum remaining space between said back wall and said movable wall at the end of the ejection stroke of said piston, thereby to facilitate the creation of high vacuum and high pressure during intake and ejection strokes of said piston and to facilitate priming with a minimum of strokes.

2. (Amended) The pumping mechanism of claim 1 wherein said piston, said cylinder and the length of movement of said piston in said cylinder are constructed and arranged so that the volume of said pumping chamber at the end of an ejection stroke is between one twentieth to one fourth of the volume of the pumping chamber at the beginning of the ejection stroke.

3. (Amended) The pumping mechanism of claim 1, wherein said back wall has a relief in front of said outlet flap valve and said piston includes an extension attached to an upper part of said movable wall which mates with and is received in said relief at the end of each ejection stroke.

4. (Same) The pumping mechanism of claim 1, wherein said 2511 19 WO 93/16955 A PCT/US93/02068 fluid inlet valve and said fluid outlet valve are one way valves.

5. (Same) The pumping mechanism of claim 1, wherein said fluid inlet valve and said fluid outlet valve are positioned 5 adjacent said back wall of said pumping chamber in close proximity to each other.

6. (Same) The pumping mechanism of claim 1, wherein said body has a lower body opening, an intake stem is received in said lower body opening and has a fluid inlet passageway 10 therein, said inlet valve being integral with, and is a flap in, said back wall of said cylinder, said flap having a reduced thickness linear area form forming a hinge, said intake stem has an orifice extending therethrough for mating with said inlet passageway; and said inlet valve flap normally closes off 15 said orifice to prevent fluid from entering said pumping chamber from the container in an at rest position of said pumping mechanism.

7. (Same) The pumping mechanism of claim 1, wherein said body has a lower body opening, an intake stem is received in 20 said lower body opening and has a flap extending upwardly therefrom, said back wall has a fluid outlet opening therethrough opposite said flap on said intake stem, said flap forming said outlet valve which normally closes said outlet opening for preventing air from entering said pumping chamber. 25

8. (Same) The pumping mechanism of claim 1, further comprising a venting orifice in a wall of said cylinder.

9. (Same) The pumping mechanism of claim 8, wherein said venting orifice is closed by said piston during the at rest home position of said piston and said venting orifice is opened 30 when said piston is moved into said cylinder. ^ 1 1 i g

10. A trigger operated pumping mechanism substantially as herein described with A reference to the accompanying drawings.