RU2234379C2 - Precompression system - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: mechanical engineering.

SUBSTANCE: proposed precopression system is installed between pump and spraying nozzle which are connected by channel opening into space. System contains precompression valve made for travel between closing position and opening position with possibility of shifting into closing position by means of spring device. Space is connected with pump and passage is connected with outlet nozzle. Spring device can be made integral with precompression valve, for instance, precompression valve and spring device can be formed by elastic flexible and preferably dome-like diaphragm. Space can be ring-shaped and enclose end f channel, or can be limited by cylindrical sleeve. Invention relates also to spraying device containing pump, fluid medium supply device connected with pump suction side, spraying nozzle connected with pump discharge side and precompression system installed between pump and spraying nozzle. Invention relates also to unit formed by reservoir and spraying device.

EFFECT: facilitated manufacture and assembling of system, provision of free designing at its making in compact spraying head.

11 cl, 9 dwg

Description

This invention relates to a pre-compression system installed between the pump and the spray nozzle, which are connected by a channel extending into the space, the system includes a pre-compression valve made with the possibility of movement between the position locking the connection in which it is adjacent to the supporting surface at the mouth channel and the position that opens the connection in which it moves away from the supporting surface, while the pre-compression valve is shifted to the locking position by means of a spring other means. Such a precompression system is known from US Pat. No. 5,730,335.

The known pre-compression system is used in a spray nozzle for a container, for example for a bottle with liquid detergent. This spray nozzle is made in the form of a housing in which a manually driven piston pump is placed. This pump is driven by a starter pivotally connected to the housing. The suction side of the pump is connected to a tube extending into the bottle for a substantial length, usually near its bottom, and through which liquid can be removed from the bottle. The discharge side of the pump is connected to the outlet nozzle of the spray nozzle via a channel. Between the pump and the channel passing into the exhaust nozzle, there is a pre-compression system comprising a pre-compression valve held in closed position by spring means and opened only when a predetermined pressure in the pump is reached. The pre-compression valve is designed to prevent the fluid from escaping from the outlet nozzle at too low a pressure, which would result in the formation of droplets that are too large to spray. To ensure optimal spraying, the liquid must exit the outlet nozzle under the influence of a predetermined and relatively high pressure.

The known pre-compression system comprises an end portion of the cylindrical wall of the pump, which enters the annular space. The rim of the cylindrical wall forms a supporting surface against which an elastically flexible diaphragm is pressed. This diaphragm is pressed into the closing position due to the pressure of the spring, which is created in the diaphragm of the said patent by bending stresses in the material of the diaphragm itself. When the pressure in the pump cylinder becomes sufficiently high, the diaphragm rises from the support surface, as a result of which liquid under pressure can pass from the cylinder into the channel leading to the outlet nozzle. When almost all the liquid is removed from the cylinder under pressure and the pressure drops again, the diaphragm will return to the closing position, in which it will again be pressed against the supporting surface as a result of the internal spring force.

However, the known pre-compression system has the disadvantage that the annular space is centered with the pump cylinder. Therefore, it is difficult to design this known pre-compression system in such a way that it can be manufactured by injection molding, therefore, the resulting structure becomes relatively cumbersome, making it difficult to implement it in a compact spray nozzle. In said U.S. Patent No. 5,730,335, a pump containing a pre-compression system is, for manufacturing reasons, made at an angle between the suction pipe and the spray pipe, which leads to a complex structure that is difficult to assemble.

Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a precompression system of the type described above, the manufacture and assembly of which will be easier than the known precompression system, which will allow more free construction when executed in a compact spray nozzle. According to the invention, this problem is solved due to the fact that the space is connected to the pump and the channel is connected to the exhaust nozzle. By thus reversing the direction of flow compared with the known pre-compression systems, a pre-compression system is obtained which does not need to be centered with the pump cylinder, but which, for example, can be placed next to the cylinder. Thus, the design of the spray nozzle can be greatly simplified, to make the nozzle more compact and simple and more technological. Moreover, as a result of this, it will not be necessary to place the cylinder and piston at an angle, which is an advantage for the operation of the device itself.

The spring means is preferably integral with the pre-compression valve, for example, the pre-compression valve and the spring means are formed by an elastically bent diaphragm. Due to this, a structurally simple valve can be obtained. The diaphragm preferably has a dome-shaped shape and therefore has a stable and to an appropriate degree tense position when inoperative.

The pre-compression system preferably contains a locking element that interacts with the diaphragm, so the bending of the diaphragm is limited, and the possibility that the diaphragm “flips” to another stable position at a greater distance from the supporting surface, from which it will not later return, is eliminated. The locking element is preferably integral with the diaphragm.

In addition, the space is preferably at least partially annular and at least partially surrounds the end of the channel, so a simple circular diaphragm can be used. And that part of the channel, which is surrounded by an annular space, and the pump can have a center line; however, these center lines are essentially parallel, but offset relative to each other.

The annular space is preferably limited by a substantially cylindrical sleeve. In this case, proper sealing is ensured and leakage can be eliminated. The diaphragm and sleeve can be made at the same time, thereby further reducing the number of parts and simplifying the assembly of the system.

At least one suction opening, closed by a valve, is made in a sleeve for drawing in the sprayed liquid. If the shut-off valve is integral with the sleeve, the number of individual parts will be reduced even more, and the assembly of the pre-compression system will be further simplified.

The invention also relates to a spray device comprising a pump having a suction side and a discharge side, means connected to a suction side of a pump for supplying a spray liquid, an outlet nozzle connected to a discharge side of the pump, and a pre-compression system between the pump and the outlet nozzle.

Finally, the present invention relates to an assembly formed by a container and the spray device described above.

The invention is illustrated by example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an assembly formed by a container and a spray device in which the pre-compression system according to the invention can be used;

figure 2 is a perspective view with a spatial separation of the details of the spray nozzle shown in figure 1 node containing the pre-compression system;

figure 3 is a partial cross-sectional image in perspective shown in figure 2 of the spray nozzle during the discharge stroke;

FIG. 4 is a view corresponding to the spray nozzle shown in FIG. 3 during a return stroke; FIG.

5 is a detailed image of the pre-compression system in the direction of arrow V in FIG. 3;

figa and 6B are longitudinal sections of the pre-compression system at the beginning and end of the discharge stroke, respectively, and

7 is a schematic detailed perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a valve used in a precompression system;

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section through an alternative embodiment of a precompression system; and

Fig.9 is a detailed image of this embodiment of a pre-compression system.

The spray nozzle 1 for tank 2 comprises a pump 3 having a suction side 5 and a discharge side 6. The movable functional means 4 is connected to the pump 3; in the illustrated example, it consists of a starting device 13 having a continuous rotary shaft 53, which enters the hollow space 54 in the frame 22, on which the pump 3 is placed, and which is fixed in it by a flexible snap lever 55.

The tool 7 is connected to the suction side 5 of the pump 3 for supplying fluid from the tank, including a channel, the free end of which is connected to the tube 23 passing into the tank. The discharge side 6 of the pump 3 is connected to the exhaust nozzle 8 through the channel 9.

Since the shaft 53 of the starting device 13 and the space 54 are located above the spray channel 9, the hole 56 is made in the starting device 13, through which the end of this channel 9, on which the exhaust nozzle 8 is made, passes.

The pump 3 is a piston pump, consisting of a housing or cylinder 10 of the pump and a piston 11, which performs reciprocating motion in it. The piston 11 is connected to the starting device 13. To return the piston 11 and the starting device 13 to their idle position at the end of the pump stroke, the spray nozzle 1 contains biasing means 16. In the illustrated embodiment, this biasing means is formed by a pair of parallel bending springs 17 that engage the ribs inside the starter 13. When the starter 13 is rotated around the rotary shaft towards the pump 3 and presses the piston 11 into the cylinder 10 during the discharge stroke, the springs 17 are bent. After the termination of the pressure on the starting device 13, it is pressed back to its inoperative position by the springs 17, bending back. Since the starter is connected to the piston 11 to remain in a fixed position under tension and compression, the piston 11 then also returns to its idle position. The connection between the trigger 13 and the piston 11 is a snap connection formed by the protrusions 14 of the trigger 13, which snap into the corresponding holes 28 in the piston 11.

Between the cylinder 10 and the spray channel 9 there is a pre-compression system including a space 58, which is annular in the illustrated embodiment, connected to the cylinder 10 and the end part of the spray channel 9 emerging into it, which are sealed against gas and liquid by means of an elastically flexible diaphragm 59. The space 58 is limited by a cylindrical sleeve 60, which enters the cavity 61 in the frame 22 and is made integral with the diaphragm 59 in the illustrated embodiment. An opening 15 is made in this cylindrical sleeve 60, in which the valve is located and which is connected to the fluid suction pipe 7 through the opening 67 in the frame 22. This valve 63, which is also integral with the sleeve 60, is movable, in the illustrated embodiment it pivotally movable between the position in which it tightly closes the hole 67 (Fig.3, 4, 6A), and the position in which this hole 67 remains free (Fig.5, 6B). In this case, the locking element 64 is connected to the diaphragm 59 and serves to limit the bending of the diaphragm 59 and to prevent it from “turning over”. The cylindrical sleeve 60 is fixed in the cavity 61 of the frame 22 using the end wall, which in the illustrated embodiment is made integral with the capacity 2. The cylindrical sleeve 60 also includes a reinforcing flange 75, which eliminates the deformation of the sleeve 60 under the influence of the discharge pressure in the cylinder 10 and therefore eliminated risk of leakage along the sleeve 60.

In the preferred embodiment (Fig. 7), the shut-off valve 63 is connected to the cylindrical sleeve 60 by means of a pair of articulated and stretchable f-shaped levers 68, one end 69 of which is attached to the sleeve 60 and the other end is connected to the valve body 63. During the return stroke or the suction stroke of the pump 11, the levers 68 are turned up and slightly stretched, as a result of which the valve body 63 rises from the hole 67 to a height L.

In yet another embodiment (FIG. 8), the cylindrical sleeve 60 does not contain an opening that is connected to the suction pipe 23. Instead, the sleeve 60 has a peripheral edge portion 70 that extends slightly outward and closely adjacent to the wall of the cavity 61. The peripheral edge portion 70 is relatively flexible and includes a slightly inclined inner surface 73. The sleeve 60 also includes a portion 71 having a reduced diameter and limited to one side of the flexible edge part 70 and on the other hand the cylindrical part of the sleeve 60. Together with the wall of the cavity 61 having a reduced diameter part 71 defines the annular space 72, which is in connection heap medium with hole 67.

During the delivery stroke of the piston 11, the fluid pressure acting on the inclined inner surface 73 of the peripheral edge part 70 will exert an inwardly directed force on this part towards the wall of the cavity 61, thereby creating a good seal around the entire periphery of the cavity 61. On the other hand , the suction force behind the piston 11 during the return stroke or the suction stroke and atmospheric pressure in the container 2 create a pressure differential on the peripheral edge part 70, exerting an inwardly directed force on it e, away from the wall, and creating a fluid communication between the annular space 72 directly connected to the interior of the container 2 through the suction tube and the cylinder 10.

Thus, the peripheral edge portion 70 functions as a valve having good sealing properties. Due to the sealing action of the peripheral edge part 70, the injection pressure does not affect the cylindrical part of the sleeve 60, thereby reducing the risk of fluid leakage along the cylindrical part and the annular sealing ribs 74 connected to it. In addition, the sleeve 60 can be made smaller and lighter than in previous embodiments, since there is no need to reinforce the flange along the peripheral edge. The sleeve 60 according to this embodiment can be manufactured by simple injection molding, since as a result of eliminating the hole in the side wall and the corresponding valve, it is now no longer necessary to use mandrels or press rods in the molds. Finally, it is also possible to easily install the sleeve 60, since it is completely symmetrical in the direction of rotation around the center line and does not have an opening that would need to be centered with the opening 67.

The exact shape of the peripheral edge portion 70 of the sleeve 60 is not of particular importance, since the only requirement is that it exert sufficient pressure on the wall of the cavity 61 to provide the necessary sealing during the discharge stroke and that it rises from the wall at any point along its perimeter during suction stroke time. It is necessary to select the shapes of the edge part 70 and the wall so that they define the annular space. Therefore, the inclination angle of the peripheral edge part in this embodiment (Fig. 9) is slightly smaller, since the cavity wall has a large inclined part, creating substantially the same volume for the annular space 72.

The pre-compression system 40 is used in a known manner to prevent the movement of fluid from the container 2 into the spray nozzle until a predetermined discharge pressure is reached. If the fluid is sprayed through the nozzle 8 at too low a pressure, then it will not be sprayed sufficiently, and the droplets created in the spray cone will be large enough. To avoid this, the connection between the container 2 and the spray nozzle 8 is closed by a diaphragm 59, which is forcedly pressed against the rim 66 of the spray channel 9, which serves as a supporting surface, under the influence of internal voltage determined by the dome-shaped configuration and amplified by the achievable pressure behind the diaphragm 59. The diaphragm 59 will be raised from the supporting surface 66 only when sufficient pressure is reached in the cylinder 10 when the piston 11 is moved to its final position, for example, pressure of the order of 0/3 MPa.

The spray nozzle 1 operates as follows. If the user needs to spray the fluid from the container 2, first he pulls the handle 13. Moreover, the air present in the cylinder 10 and which cannot get back into the container 2 due to the opening 67 closed by the valve 63, is compressed by the piston 11. When the air pressure is high enough at the end of the discharge stroke, then the diaphragm 59 rises from the supporting surface 66, so that air can exit.

During the subsequent return stroke provided by the biasing means 16, the fluid is drawn from the container 2 through the tube 23, the passage 7 and the openings 62, 67 into the cylinder 10 until it is completely filled at the end of the return stroke or the suction stroke (Fig. 6A). In order to prevent the occurrence of a partial vacuum in the container 2 during this stroke, an aeration hole 51 is made in the cylinder wall 10, which opens when the outer peripheral sealing lip 39B passes through the hole 51 while moving inside the piston 11, and which is again connected to a closed space limited between external and internal peripheral sealing edges 39B and 39A of the piston 11, during the outer stroke of the piston 11.

When the starter 13 is retracted, the pressure in the cylinder 10 rises very rapidly because the fluid cannot be compressed. In this case, the diaphragm 59 rises from the supporting surface 66 substantially instantly, and the fluid can be squeezed out through the space between the diaphragm 59 and the supporting surface 66 into the spray channel 9, and then into the spray nozzle 8 (Fig. 6B), where it is sprayed.

Since, according to the invention, the annular space 58 is connected to the cylinder 10 of the pump and the outlet channel 9 connected to the spray nozzle, and not vice versa, as in conventional pre-compression systems, therefore, the annular space 58 does not need to be centered with the cylinder 10, and it can, according to the corresponding image in the drawings, offset. Therefore, it is possible to efficiently produce a spray nozzle by injection molding with a compact design.

Despite the fact that the invention is illustrated by the example of a variant of its implementation, it is obvious that it is not limited to them. For example, the diaphragm and sleeve can be performed separately. Also, in some cases, the locking element may not be provided, and, of course, the selection of materials may be different. The scope of this invention is therefore determined only by the attached claims.

Claims (11)

1. A pre-compression system installed between the pump (3) and the spray nozzle (8), comprising a channel (9) and a space (58) connecting the pump (3) and the spray nozzle (8), the space (58) being connected to the pump (3), and the channel (9) is connected to the spray nozzle (8), while the channel (9) contains a mouth extending into the space (58), while the space (58) is at least partially annular and, according to at least partially surrounds the end of the channel (9), a pre-compression valve (59) made to move between by locking the connection in which it adjoins the supporting surface (6) at the mouth of the channel (9), and by the position leaving the connection in which it moves away from the supporting surface (66), while the pre-compression valve (59) is displaced in locking position by means of spring means (59), characterized in that the spring means (59) is integral with the pre-compression valve (59), the spring means and the pre-compression valve are formed by an elastically flexible diaphragm (59), and a cylindrical sleeve (60), essentially limit ivaet annular space (58) and integrally formed with the diaphragm (59). 2. The pre-compression system according to claim 1, characterized in that the diaphragm (59) has a domed shape. 3. The pre-compression system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the locking element (64) interacts with the diaphragm (59). 4. The pre-compression system according to claim 3, characterized in that the locking element (64) is made integral with the diaphragm (59). 5. The pre-compression system according to any one of the preceding paragraphs, characterized in that the part of the channel (9) surrounded by the annular space (58) and the pump (3) have a center line, while the center lines are essentially parallel, but offset relative to each other. 6. A pre-compression system according to any one of the preceding paragraphs, characterized in that at least one suction hole (15) is made in the sleeve (60), which is closed by a shut-off valve (63). 7. The pre-compression system according to claim 6, characterized in that the shut-off valve (63) is made integral with the sleeve (60). 8. The pre-compression system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the sleeve (60) has a relatively flexible peripheral edge part (70) and a reduced diameter part (71) bordering on the flexible peripheral edge part (70). 9. A pre-compression valve comprising spring means (59) and a cylindrical sleeve (60) made integral with the valve for use in the pre-compression system, characterized in that the pre-compression system is made according to one of the preceding paragraphs. 10. A spray nozzle (1) comprising a pump (3) having a suction side (5) and a discharge side (6), means (7) connected to a suction side (5) of a pump (3) for supplying a spray fluid, an outlet nozzle (8) connected to the discharge side (6) of the pump (3) and a pre-compression system, characterized in that the pre-compression system is made according to any one of claims 1 to 8 and is located between the pump (3) and the outlet nozzle ( 8). 11. A spray device comprising a container (2) having a neck (30) and a spray nozzle (1), characterized in that the spray nozzle (1) is made in accordance with claim 10 and is attached to the neck (30).

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