RU2821379C2 - Spraying device (embodiments) - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: spraying.

SUBSTANCE: group of inventions relates to spraying devices (embodiments). Spraying device includes a bottle part, a sleeve and a motor. Motor includes a spring which, when compressed, creates pressure in the chamber containing an amount of fluid medium capable of discharging from the bottle part. Sleeve and the motor can be screwed on the bottle without spring compression. Turning the sleeve relative to the bottle by the user creates pressure in the chamber containing the fluid medium to exit the bottle. User is provided with audio and/or tactile feedback when turning the cartridge, which allows the user to select the amount of fluid to be dispensed. Motor includes the main spring, which, when compressed, creates pressure in the chamber containing the amount of fluid medium capable of dispensing from the bottle. Spring is enclosed between cup and cover, connected to each other by fusion.

EFFECT: group of inventions provides high-quality spraying and improved quality of spraying viscous media by reducing pressure losses on the flow path.

17 cl, 58 dwg

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE ART

[001] Prior art spray devices are often bulky, inconvenient, difficult to use, or unable to withstand standard force loads. Therefore, there is a need for a spray device with design features that reduce the overall size and weight of the spray device; providing ease of manufacture; providing stable functionality and safety when withstanding loads such as "overload" torque and continuous load from the loading spring; providing high-quality atomization and improving the quality of atomization of viscous media by reducing pressure losses along the flow path; ensuring an increase in the number of reuses of the device; allowing the actuator to be easily activated by the user and reliably return to its original position, and allowing a clean spray interruption without leakage to be achieved.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

[002] In one aspect, the spray device includes a bottle portion, a sleeve, and a motor. The motor includes a spring that, when compressed, creates a pressure in a chamber containing an amount of fluid capable of being dispensed from the bottle portion. The sleeve and motor are designed to be screwed onto the bottle without compressing the spring.

[003] According to another aspect, the spray device includes a bottle part, a sleeve and a motor. Rotation of the sleeve relative to the bottle by the user creates pressure in the chamber containing the fluid to force it out of the bottle. The sleeve is configured to provide audible and/or tactile feedback to the user when the sleeve is rotated, allowing the user to select the amount of fluid to be dispensed.

[004] According to another aspect, the spray device includes a bottle, a sleeve, and a motor. The motor contains a spring that, when compressed, creates pressure in a chamber containing the amount of fluid dispensed from the bottle. The spring is enclosed between the bowl and the lid, connected to each other.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[005] In FIG. 1 shows a front view of the spray device.

[006] In FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the spray device at the preparatory stage.

[007] In FIG. 3 shows a side view of the spray device at the dispensing stage.

[008] In FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the spray device.

[009] In FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of the spray device.

[0010] In FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a sleeve of the spray device.

[0011] In FIG. 7 shows a partial perspective view of the liner.

[0012] In FIG. 8 is a front cross-sectional view of the bowl of the spray device.

[0013] In FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a spray device cover.

[0014] In FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a spray device cover.

[0015] In FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the outlet of the spray device.

[0016] In FIG. 12 is a partial cross-sectional view of the outlet of the spray device.

[0017] In FIG. 13 is a side cross-sectional view of a spray channel of a spray device.

[0018] In FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the channel of the spray device.

[0019] In FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a nozzle of a spray device.

[0020] In FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the spray device rod.

[0021] In FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a spray device rod according to an alternative embodiment.

[0022] In FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a spray device rod according to an alternative embodiment.

[0023] In FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a spray device rod according to an alternative embodiment.

[0024] In FIG. 20 is a perspective view of a spray device rod according to an alternative embodiment.

[0025] In FIG. 21 is a perspective view of a spray device valve.

[0026] In FIG. 22 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the spray device.

[0027] In FIG. 23 is a perspective view of a screw of the spray device.

[0028] In FIG. 24 is a front cross-sectional view of a spray device screw.

[0029] In FIG. 25 is a perspective view of a spray device nut.

[0030] In FIG. 26 is a front cross-sectional view of a spray device nut.

[0031] In FIG. 27 is a perspective view of the piston of the spray device.

[0032] In FIG. 28 is a perspective cross-sectional view of the piston of the spray device.

[0033] In FIG. 29 is a cross-sectional perspective view of a spray device gasket.

[0034] In FIG. 30 is a perspective view of a button of the spray device.

[0035] In FIG. 31 is a perspective view of a button of the spray device.

[0036] In FIG. 32 is a side cross-sectional view of a button of a spray device.

[0037] In FIG. 33 is a partial front view of the bottle portion of the spray device.

[0038] In FIG. 34 is a perspective view of the spray device in the first stage of disassembly with the bottle part.

[0039] In FIG. 35 is a perspective view of the spray device in the second stage of disassembly with the bottle part.

[0040] In FIG. 36 is a partial front cross-sectional view of the spray device.

[0041] In FIG. 37 is a partial front cross-sectional view of a spray device according to another embodiment.

[0042] In FIG. 38 is a partial front cross-sectional view of the spray device of FIG. 37.

[0043] In FIG. 39 is a perspective view of the outlet valve of the spray device of FIG. 37.

[0044] In FIG. 40 is a front cross-sectional view of the spray device at the assembly stage.

[0045] In FIG. 41 is a front cross-sectional view of the spray device at the assembly stage.

[0046] In FIG. 42 is a front cross-sectional view of the spray device at the assembly stage.

[0047] In FIG. 43 is a front cross-sectional view of the spray device at the assembly stage.

[0048] In FIG. 44 is a front cross-sectional view of the spray device at the assembly stage.

[0049] In FIG. 45 is a front cross-sectional view of the spray device at the assembly stage.

[0050] In FIG. 46 is a front cross-sectional view of the spray device at the assembly stage.

[0051] In FIG. 47 is a front cross-sectional view of the spray device at the assembly stage.

[0052] In FIG. 48 is a front cross-sectional view of the spray device at the assembly stage.

[0053] In FIG. 49 is a front cross-sectional view of the spray device at the assembly stage.

[0054] In FIG. 50 is a front cross-sectional view of the spray device at the assembly stage.

[0055] In FIG. 51 is a front cross-sectional view of the assembled spray device.

[0056] In FIG. 52 is a partial side cross-sectional view of the spray device in a charged state.

[0057] In FIG. 53 is a partial cross-sectional view of a spray device with a button recessed into the spray device.

[0058] In FIG. 54 is a partial cross-sectional view of the spray device in an as-dispensed state.

[0059] In FIG. Figure 55 shows the sequence of movement of the button when the button is pressed.

[0060] In FIG. 56 is a partial perspective view of the spray device with the audible alarm device visible.

[0061] In FIG. 57 is an enlarged view of FIG. 56, containing a sound signaling device.

[0062] In FIG. 58 is a partial cross-sectional view of a spray device according to an alternative embodiment.

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE INVENTION

[0063] It is naturally understood that the description and drawings herein are for illustrative purposes only and that various modifications and changes may be made to the disclosed structures without departing from the scope of the present invention. Referring to the drawings, in which like numerals denote like elements in multiple views, FIG. 1 shows a spray device 100 including a top portion 102 and a bottle portion 104. The spray device 100 includes an outer spray device surface 110 defining a generally cylindrical profile shown in the front view of FIG. 1. The top 102 includes a sleeve 112 configured to receive a bottle portion 104 such that the top 102 is flush with the bottle portion 104. Thus, the outer surface 110 of the spray device is continuous between the top 102 and the bottle portion 104 when the bottle portion 104 is engaged with the top portion 102. The substantially cylindrical profile of the outer surface 110 of the spray device defines the longitudinal axis 114 of the spray device.

[0064] The spray device 100 is configured to dispense liquid in a process including a preparation step and a dispensing step. The preparation stage of the spray device 100 is shown in FIG. 2, in which the top portion 102 is rotated clockwise about the longitudinal axis 114 of the spray device relative to the bottle portion 104. As shown, the outer surface 110 of the spray device is configured to be grasped by a user by the top portion 102 and the bottle portion 104, with two-handed rotation charging the spray gun. device 100 and prepares a dose of atomized liquid in the form of a dispensing amount of liquid for the dispensing step. The spray liquid is obtained from a fluid, which may be a gas and/or liquid, and may include particles, filaments or other non-liquid elements suspended therein, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0065] Because the top portion 102 is flush with the bottle portion 104, the user can grip the outer surface 110 of the spray device at a location that overlaps the top and bottom portions to form an ergonomic gripping surface on the outer surface 110 of the spray device between the top portion and the bottle portion. According to the drawing, the top portion 102 is rotated clockwise relative to the bottle portion 104 to prepare the spray device 100, but the spray device 100 could alternatively be configured such that the preparation step requires the top portion 102 to be rotated counterclockwise relative to the bottle portion 104 without exiting is beyond the scope of the present invention. Additionally, in another embodiment, the spray device 100 may be configured such that the preparatory step requires the top portion 102 to be rotated clockwise or counterclockwise relative to the bottle portion 104, or in a series of rotations in clockwise and/or counterclockwise directions. arrows relative to the bottle portion 104 without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0066] In FIG. 3 illustrates a dispensing step in which the top surface 120 of the top portion, specified by the button 122, is pressed to discharge spray liquid 124 from the nozzle 130. The nozzle 130 is inserted into the top portion 102 and is configured to dispense spray liquid 124 in a direction substantially radially outward from outer surface 110 of the spray device and substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 114 of the spray device.

[0067] In FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the spray device 100. In the drawing, a motor 132 is located in the spray device 100 between the top portion 102 and the bottle portion 104. The motor 132 is configured to supply spray liquid to the nozzle 130 from a dip tube 134 extending into the bottle portion 104 when the spray device 100 is in an assembled state, allowing the motor 132 to access the spray liquid contained in the bottle portion 104. The spray channel 140 is configured to selectively interact with the motor 132 containing a cap 142, an outlet 144 and a bowl 150 located in line from the top portion 102 to the bottle portion 104 along the longitudinal axis 114 of the spray device.

[0068] In FIG. 5 shows a vertical cross-section of a spray device 100 with an assembled motor 132 located in the top portion 102 and bottle portion 104. As shown in the drawing, the spray channel 140 is offset upward along the longitudinal axis 114 of the spray device toward a button 122 with a return spring 152 located between a spray channel 140 and a screw 160. A rod 162 is inserted into the rod entrance 164 of the spray channel 140, centered on the longitudinal axis 114 of the spray device. The spray channel 140 provides support for the nozzle 130 in the upper part 102 such that the nozzle 130 fits into the spray slot 170 defined in the upper part 102.

[0069] Cup 150 is screwed onto bottle portion 104 such that cup 150 attaches to bottle portion 104 and holds cap 142, main spring 172, nut 174, and piston 180. Cup 150, piston 180, and screw 160 collectively form chamber 182, sealed with a volume that varies as the piston 180 slides along the bowl 150 and the screw 160 in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis 114 of the spray device. Chamber 182 is substantially sealed such that spray liquid does not flow out of chamber 182 and ambient air does not enter chamber 182. Dip tube 134 is housed in bowl 150 and is in selective fluid communication with chamber 182. Ball 184 is mounted in bowl 150 with by forming a one-way valve between the dip tube 134 and the chamber 182, which allows the spray liquid to pass into the chamber 182 from the dip tube 134 and prevents the spray liquid from exiting the chamber 182 into the dip tube 134.

[0070] The main spring 172 is located between and enclosed within the bowl 150 and the cover 142. The main spring 172 is a compression spring centered on and directed along the longitudinal axis 114 of the spray device and configured to bias the piston 180 toward the bowl bottom 190. The main spring 172 includes an upper spring end 192 abutting the cover 142 and a lower spring end 194 abutting the nut 174, wherein the nut 174 is configured to transmit the elastic force applied by the main spring 172 to the cup 150 to the piston 180. The nut 174 also is threaded with a screw 160 such that rotational movement of the screw 160 about the longitudinal axis 114 of the spray device results in linear movement of the nut 174 along the longitudinal axis 114 of the spray device.

[0071] At the interface between the sleeve 112 and the bottle portion 104, the sleeve lower end portion 200 extends downwardly around the bottle portion upper end portion 202 and abuts a bottle portion lower projection 204 formed thereon, where the sleeve lower surface 210 of the sleeve lower end portion 200 rests against the lower protrusion 204 of the bottle part and interacts with it with the possibility of sliding movement. The inner surface 212 of the sleeve and the outer surface 214 of the bottle portion are rounded relative to the longitudinal axis 114 of the spray device and are radially spaced apart relative to the longitudinal axis 114 of the spray device. Thus, the top portion 102 and the bottle portion 104 are rotatable relative to each other when the bottle portion 104 is engaged with the top portion 102.

[0072] In FIG. 6 shows a sleeve 112 including a lower sleeve end portion 200, an upper sleeve end portion 220 configured to receive a button 122, an outer surface 110 of a spray device at the top portion 102, and a spray slot 170. As shown, the spray slot 170 extends as a single piece from the top portion 102 in a direction radially outward from the longitudinal axis 114 of the spray device when the top portion 102 is assembled with the spray device 100. The spray slot 170 is configured to form a gap with a cone of spray liquid discharged from the nozzle 130.

[0073] In FIG. 7 is a partial view of the sleeve 112 showing at least one sleeve fin 222, annunciator blade 224, an upper sleeve bearing 230, and a lower sleeve bearing 232. As shown in the drawing, at least one liner rib 222 extends along the upper end portion 220 of the liner parallel to the longitudinal axis 114 of the spray device when the top portion 102 is assembled with the spray device 100. The at least one liner rib 222 extends across the upper liner bearing 230 towards the lower end portion 200 of the liner. Said at least one liner rib 222 is configured to hold the spray channel 140 in a rotatable position about the longitudinal axis 114 of the spray device relative to the sleeve 112 and transmit torque about the longitudinal axis 114 of the spray device between the sleeve 112 and the spray channel 140. The sounder blade 224 is located on the bottom portion 234 of at least one sleeve ridge 222, extends toward the cap 142 and is configured to produce at least one audible click when interacting with corresponding elements of the cap 142 when the top portion 102 is rotated relative to the bottle portion 104, indicating to the user that the dose of sprayed liquid is being charged.

[0074] The upper sleeve bearing 230 includes an upper bearing retainer 240 configured to hold the cover 142 in a longitudinal position of the sleeve 112 relative to the longitudinal axis 114 of the spray device. The lower sleeve bearing 232 is configured to surround the circumference of the cap main wall 290 to radially retain the cap 142 about the longitudinal axis 114 of the spray device relative to the sleeve 112 when the spray device 100 is assembled.

[0075] In FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of bowl 150. As shown, bowl bottom 190 forms a downward axial support for screw 160, and bowl 150 also includes a bowl wall 242 consisting of an upper bowl wall portion 244 and a lower bowl wall portion 250. The top bowl wall portion 244 provides a radial support for the screw 160, and at least one bowl wall track 252 is defined in the inner bowl wall surface 254 at the top bowl wall portion 244. The at least one bowl wall track 252 is shaped to correspond to the radially outward facing elements of the nut 174 and is configured to engage the corresponding at least one element of the nut 174 to pivotally hold the nut 174 relative to the bowl 150 about the longitudinal axis 114 of the spray device.

[0076] The inner bowl wall surface 254 at the lower bowl wall portion 250 defines a chamber 182 with the piston 180. For this purpose, the inner bowl wall surface 254 at the lower bowl wall portion 250 is a sealing surface configured to interact and form an airtight seal with the piston 180, which prevents the spray liquid from leaking or air from the surrounding atmosphere from entering the chamber 182.

[0077] The dip tube inlet 260 is centered on the bowl bottom 190 and is positioned in the bowl bottom 190 across the bowl channel 262 from the bowl ball valve seat 264 along the longitudinal axis 114 of the spray device. The dip tube inlet 260 is configured to receive the dip tube 134, secure the dip tube 134 to the bowl 150, and bring the dip tube 134 into fluid communication with the bowl ball valve seat 264. The bowl ball valve seat 264 is configured to receive the ball 184 to form a one-way valve.

[0078] At least one bowl rib 270 integrally extends radially outward from the top portion 244 of the bowl wall, said at least one bowl rib 270 being configured to engage with the bottle portion 104 to secure the bowl 150 relative to the bottle portion 104. End surface 272 of at least one cup ribs 270 includes at least one sleeve bearing 274 configured to abut the sleeve inner surface 212 when the cup 150 is assembled with the sleeve 112. When the sleeve 112, bottle portion 104, and cup 150 are assembled, at least one sleeve bearing 274, sleeve 112, and bottle portion 104 occupy a common longitudinal position of the spray device 100, causing a radial force applied to the spray device 100 in the longitudinal position to pass through each of the at least one sleeve bearing 274, sleeve 112 and bottle portion 104. The at least one bowl rib 270 also includes at least one outlet retaining clip 280 extending radially inward from the inner surface 282 of the bowl rib in a longitudinal position toward the top portion 244 of the bowl wall.

[0079] In the illustrated embodiment, when the spray device 100 is assembled, the bowl 150 is hidden from view from outside the spray device 100 by at least the sleeve 112. However, in an alternative embodiment, the outer flange of the bowl 150 is exposed to view from the outside of the spray device 100. for example, by a combination of extending at least one cup fin 270 and shortening the sleeve 112. This alternative embodiment allows the exposed outer flange to function as a non-rotating surface that can be grasped by the equipment to screw the top portion 102 onto the bottle without charging the motor 132 when the spray device 100 is assembled.

[0080] Referring to FIG. 9, cover 142 includes a top cover surface 284, a main cover wall 290, a cover flange 292 extending from the main cover wall 290, a cover weld wall 294, and a bottom cover surface 300. The main lid wall 290 integrally extends downwardly and radially outward from the top surface 284 of the lid to the lid flange 292, and the lid weld wall 294 integrally extends downwardly from the main lid wall 290 to accommodate the friction weld geometry of the cup 150 on the top portion 244 of the cup wall. In one embodiment, the lid 142 and bowl 150 are made of the same material and are friction welded together to form a single piece of integral components. In other embodiments, the choice of material for cover 142 and bowl 150 excludes slip, anti-adhesive, or antistatic additives, since such materials may adversely affect the quality of friction welds. In some embodiments, at least one of the lid 142 and bowl 150 is made of polypropylene (PP), and in other embodiments, at least one of the lid 142 and bowl 150 is made of polyethylene (PET). It should be noted that alternative materials having properties similar to polypropylene and/or polyethylene may be used in the lid 142 and/or bowl 150 without departing from the scope of the present invention. In an alternative embodiment of the spray device 100, the lid 142 and the bowl 150 are connected to each other via clamps (not shown). In other alternative embodiments of the spray device 100, the lid 142 and the bowl 150 are connected to each other by clamps instead of friction welding.

[0081] The lid flange 292 extends radially outward from the main lid wall 290, the radial circumference being defined by the outer surface 302 of the lid flange. An audible alarm channel 304 is defined in the cap flange 292 between the cap main wall 290 and the cap flange outer surface 302 in a radial direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 114 of the spray device. The beeper channel 304 includes at least one beeper fin 310 located therein. The beeper blade 224 is located in the beeper channel 304 when the top portion 102 is assembled with the cap 142, wherein said at least one beeper rib 310 is configured to interact with the beeper blade 224 when the top portion 102 is rotated relative to the bottle portion 104 , and therefore when the sleeve 112 is rotated relative to the cap 142. The interaction of at least one buzzer fin 310 with the buzzer blade 224 produces a click sound audible to the user operating the spray device 100, the click sound being somewhat consistent with the dose sprayed liquid charged in the device. The upper bearing retainer 240 of the sleeve 112 projects radially inward from the inner surface 212 of the sleeve, and the cover flange 292 is configured to engage the upper bearing retainer 240 including the outer surface 302 of the cover flange.

[0082] As shown in FIG. 10, at least one screw retaining clip 312 extends integrally downwardly and radially inwardly from the top surface 284 of the cover, wherein the at least one screw retaining clip 312 is configured to engage the screw 160 and secure the screw 160 to the cover 142. In the illustrated embodiment, implementation, the at least one screw retaining clip 312 is six screw retaining clips, however, more or fewer similar screw retaining clips may be used in the spray device 100 without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0083] A lid main spring contact surface 314 is defined on an inner lid surface 316 configured to face the bowl 150 when the lid 142 and cup 150 are assembled, the lid main spring contact surface 314 being configured to abut and retain the main spring 172 . Each of the cap main spring contact surface 314 and the spring upper end 192 may be flattened to increase the contact surface area between the cap 142 and the main spring 172 at the cap main spring contact surface 314 and the spring upper end 192.

[0084] The bottom surface 300 of the cap is located at the lower end 320 of the cap weld wall, has a substantially flat shape toward the bowl 150, and is oriented substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 114 of the spray device when the spray device 100 is assembled. Thus, the lid weld wall 294, including the lid bottom surface 300, is configured to cooperate with the geometry of the cup weld 150. Referring to FIG. 8, the bowl weld geometry includes a bowl arm 322 with a bowl top surface 324 defining the topmost surface of the bowl 150. Referring to FIG. 5, the upper bowl surface 324 and the lower lid surface 300 are substantially planar in shape towards each other and oriented substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 114 of the spray device when the spray device 100 is assembled. In addition, the lid weld wall 294 surrounds and contacts the cup shoulder 322 to form a weld surface between the lid 142 and the cup 150.

[0085] When the spray device 100 is assembled, the outlet 144 is configured to provide a tight seal between the bottle portion 104 and the bowl 150 to prevent leakage of spray liquid and allow ambient air to escape into the bottle portion 104 to replace the dispensed spray liquid. As shown in FIG. 11, the outlet 144 has a substantially annular shape and includes an inner outlet surface 330, an outer outlet surface 332, an upper outlet end portion 334, and a lower outlet end portion 340. The inner outlet surface 330 includes a bowl-retaining outlet surface 342 at the upper end of the outlet portion 334, wherein the bowl-retaining outlet surface 342 is configured to retain the bowl 150 in the outlet 144 and form a tight seal with the bowl 150 when the spray device 100 is assembled. The inner outlet surface 330 includes a lower inner outlet surface 344 at the lower end of the outlet portion 340, and when the outlet 144 forms a seal with the bowl 150 and the bottle portion 104, the lower inner outlet surface 344 is a continuation of the sealing surface between the bowl 150 and the bottle portion 104.

[0086] The outer outlet surface 332 includes a bottle sealing outlet surface 350 at the lower end of the outlet portion 340 configured to form an airtight seal with the bottle portion 104 when the bowl 150, bottle portion 104, and outlet 144 are assembled. When the cup 150, bottle portion 104, and outlet 144 are assembled, the cup 150 engages the cup retaining surface 342 of the outlet and the bottle portion 104 interacts with the sealing surface such that the outer surface 332 of the outlet is an extension of the sealing surface between the cup 150 and the bottle. part 104.

[0087] In FIG. 12 shows a partial cross-section of the outlet 144. As shown, an outlet groove 352 is defined in the outlet 144 on the inner surface 330 of the outlet at the upper end portion 334 of the outlet. An outlet retainer 354 is formed on the inner outlet surface 330 between the outlet groove 352 and the top outlet surface 360, wherein the outlet retainer 354 is configured to secure the outlet 144 to the cup 150. In one embodiment, the outlet 144 is made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE). In another embodiment, the outlet 144 is made of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). It should be noted that alternative materials similar to LDPE and TPU may be used in outlet 144 without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0088] Spray channel 140 includes a nozzle 130 and provides a flow path for spray liquid between the rod 162 and the nozzle 130. As shown in FIG. 13, the flow path is formed from a rod inlet 154 and a spray channel passage 362 defined in the spray channel 140, wherein the spray channel passage 362 extends between the rod inlet 154 and a nozzle projection 364 configured to support the nozzle 130 on the spray channel 140. The rod 154 is defined in the spray channel 140 with a radial location centered on the longitudinal axis 114 of the spray device, and an orientation parallel to the longitudinal axis 114 of the spray device when the spray device 100 is assembled. In this design, the radial position of the rod 162 in the rod entrance 154 does not vary about the longitudinal axis 114 of the spray device as the top portion 102, and thus the spray channel 140, is rotated relative to the bottle portion 104. The inner surface 370 of the rod entrance forms an interface with the rod 162, wherein the inner rod entry surface 370 forms a tight seal with the rod 162 to maintain internal operating pressure between the rod 162 and the spray channel 140 without leakage of spray liquid. The nozzle projection 364 is substantially cylindrical and is thus configured to provide support for the nozzle 130 without the need for a specific rotational position of the nozzle 130 relative to the nozzle projection 364 and the spray channel 140.

[0089] Spray channel 140 provides a clutch configured to selectively engage with screw 160 to convert rotational motion of the sleeve into rotational motion of the screw and axial movement of the nut. As shown in FIG. 13 and 14, the spray channel 140 includes at least one spray channel branch 372 located radially outward from the annular spray channel segment 374, wherein the at least one spray channel branch 372 extends downward towards the cap flange 292 when the spray device 100 is assembled. Each of the at least one spray channel branch 372 is configured to interact with at least one liner rib 222 extending radially inward from the sleeve 112. Said at least one spray channel branch 372 accordingly abuts at least one said sleeve rib 222 in the rotational direction of the sleeve 112 relative to the bottle portion 104 about the longitudinal axis 114 of the spray device for transmitting rotational forces between the specified at least one branch 372 of the spray channel and the specified at least one rib 222 of the sleeve.

[0090] The annular spray channel segment 374 is supported on said at least one spray channel arm 372 on the outer surface 380 of the annular spray channel segment, and the annular spray channel segment 374 includes at least one spray channel coupling tooth 382 extending radially inward from the annular spray channel segment 374 on the inner surface 384 of the annular spray channel segment. Each of the at least one spray channel coupling teeth 382 includes an inlet segment 390 inclined relative to the annular spray channel segment 374 towards the longitudinal axis 114 of the spray device downwards along the longitudinal axis 114 of the spray device. In the illustrated embodiment, the at least one spray port coupling tooth 382 is six spray port coupling teeth located between successive spray port arms of at least one spray port arm 372 around an annular spray port segment 374, however more or less may be used. a number of spray channel coupling teeth with different distribution configurations along the spray channel annular segment 374, without departing from the scope of the present invention. The specified at least one tooth 382 of the spray channel coupling is configured to directly interact with the screw 160 and transmit torque between the screw 160 and the spray channel 140.

[0091] The at least one spray channel clutch tooth 382 includes a clutch tooth clamp 392 extending toward the return spring 152. The clutch tooth clamp 392 is configured to retain the return spring 152 on the at least one spray channel clutch tooth 382. In one embodiment, the spray channel 140 is made of low-density polyethylene (HDPE). In another embodiment, the spray channel 140 is made of polypropylene (PP). In another embodiment, the spray channel 140 is made of polyoxymethylene (POM). It should be noted that the spray channel 140 can be made of materials similar to HDPE, PP and/or POM, without departing from the scope of the present invention. Additionally, in the illustrated embodiment of spray channel 140, the at least one spray channel branch 372 is three spray channel branches, however, more or fewer spray channel branches may be used in spray channel 140 without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0092] The nozzle 130 is configured to produce a spray jet when supplied with pressurized spray liquid coming from the spray channel passage 362. With reference to FIG. 15, nozzle 130 includes a main nozzle wall 394 extending between a rear nozzle surface 400 and a nozzle mounting surface 402. The outer periphery of the main nozzle wall 394 defines the outer surface 404 of the nozzle. The nozzle outer surface 404 is a holding surface configured to retain the nozzle 130 in the spray passage 140 as an interface between the nozzle 130 and the spray passage 140 at the nozzle projection 364.

[0093] The nozzle mounting surface 402 includes at least one swirl vane 410 defined therein, wherein each of the at least one swirl vane 410 is directed from the periphery of the nozzle mounting surface 402 on the main nozzle wall 394 to the center of the nozzle mounting surface 402 comprising the nozzle opening 412 specified in it. The at least one swirl blade 410 has a decreasing width in a direction from the periphery of the nozzle attachment surface 402 to the center of the nozzle attachment surface 402. Each of the at least one swirl vane 410 has a direction leading from the center of the nozzle opening 412 into a swirl chamber 414 formed on the nozzle mounting surface 402 to promote swirl in the fluid spray stream as the spray liquid is discharged from the spray device 100. It should be noted that that without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, other designs of nozzle 130 and spray path 140 may be used to produce other spray patterns in the context of particle size, velocity, cone angle and other aspects of the spray pattern, as well as the design of nozzle 130 and spray path 140, foam-forming or non-spray fluid jets.

[0094] The rod 162 is configured to selectively pass fluid flow from the screw 160 into the spray channel 140. As shown in FIG. 16, rod 162 includes a rod wall 420 including an upper rod end portion 422, a lower rod end portion 424, an inner rod surface 430, and an outer rod surface 432. The rod 162 includes a rod flange 434 extending radially outward from the outer surface 432 of the rod at the upper end portion 422 of the rod. The rod flange 434 is offset longitudinally from the upper end surface 440 of the rod to form a rod holding geometry 162 configured to retain the rod 162 in the rod entry 154.

[0095] At least one rod hole 442 is defined in the rod 162 and is configured to pass a spray of liquid through the rod wall 420 from the outer rod surface 432 to the inner rod surface 430 at the lower end portion 424 of the rod. In the illustrated embodiment, the at least one rod hole 442 is four rod holes evenly spaced circumferentially around the rod 162 at the same longitudinal location along the rod 162. The outer rod surface 432 at the lower rod end portion 424 defines a sealing surface, extending above the uppermost portion of the at least one rod opening 442 and extending below the lowermost portion of the at least one rod opening 442 along the longitudinal axis 114 of the spray device. It should be noted that the at least one shaft hole 442 may contain more or fewer such holes, which may or may not be evenly spaced around the circumference of the shaft 162, and which may occupy one or more longitudinal locations along the shaft 162 without exiting is beyond the scope of the present invention.

[0096] The rod 162 includes a rod input segment 444 that is angled radially downward relative to the longitudinal axis 114 of the spray device. The slope of the rod lead-in segment 444 converges toward the bottom surface 450 of the rod. In one embodiment, the rod 162 is injection molded, and the bottom surface 450 of the rod is an injection point used in the manufacture of the rod 162. In one embodiment, the rod 162 is made of polyoxymethylene (POM). It should be noted that alternative materials and methods for manufacturing the rod 162 may be used without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0097] In an alternative embodiment of the rod 162 of FIG. 17, not containing the at least one rod hole 442, the rod 162 includes a first rod channel 452 and a second rod channel 454 defined in the rod 162 by an obstruction 460 located in the rod 162 inside the inner surface 430 of the rod. The first rod channel 452 and the second rod channel 454 are defined through the outer rod surface 432, configured to allow fluid flow into the rod 162, and separately extend through the lower rod end portion 424 to the upper rod end portion 422. The first rod channel 452 and the second rod channel 454 are defined through the rod wall 420 on radially opposite sides of the rod 162 relative to the longitudinal axis 114 of the spray device, resulting in the first rod channel 452 and the second rod channel 454 being evenly distributed around the circumference of the rod 162. The obstacle 460 extends into axially halfway inside the rod 162, causing the first rod channel 452 and the second rod channel 454 to terminate at a midpoint in the rod 162. In this design, the fluid flows in the first rod channel 452 and the second rod channel 454 are combined into a single path at the end of the obstacle 460 and then reach the spray channel 140 to reduce the pressure drop along the rod 162 when dispensing the spray liquid.

[0098] In an alternative embodiment of rod 162 shown in FIG. 18, rod 162 includes a first rod channel 462, a second rod channel 464, and a third rod channel 470 defined in the rod 162 by an obstruction 472 and an inner rod surface 430. The first rod channel 462, the second rod channel 464, and the third rod channel 470 are configured to allow fluid flow into the rod 162 and individually extend through the lower end portion 424 of the rod along the length of the obstacle 472. The first rod channel 462, the second rod channel 464, and the third The rod channel 470 is defined through the outer surface 432 of the rod such that the first rod channel 462, the second rod channel 464 and the third rod channel 470 are evenly distributed around the circumference of the rod 162. The obstruction 472 extends halfway into the rod 162, causing the first rod channel 462 to the second rod channel 464 and the third rod channel 470 terminate at a midpoint in the rod 162. In this design, the fluid flows in the first rod channel 462, the second rod channel 464 and the third rod channel 470 are combined into a single path and then reach the spray channel 140, providing reducing the pressure drop in the rod 162 when dispensing the sprayed liquid.

[0099] In an alternative embodiment of rod 162 shown in FIG. 19, the rod 162 includes a U-shaped channel 474 defined between the inner surface 430 of the rod and the obstacle 480. The U-shaped channel 474 is configured to allow fluid flow into the rod 162 and extends through the lower end portion 424 of the rod. The obstacle 480 extends halfway inside the rod 162, limited by the cross-sectional area defined by the inner surface 430 of the rod and the speed of fluid flow through the rod 162 at the obstacle 480. The obstacle 480, defining a U-shaped channel 474, ends at a midpoint in the rod 162 along the longitudinal axle 114 of the spray device such that the flow of fluid in the rod 162 is not restricted by the obstruction 480 until it reaches the spray channel 140, thereby reducing the pressure drop throughout the rod 162 when dispensing the spray liquid.

[00100] In an alternative embodiment of the rod 162 of FIG. 20, the rod hole 482 is defined through the rod wall 420, and the obstruction 484 located in the rod 162 includes a first protrusion 490 and a second protrusion 492 extending through the lower end portion 424 of the rod from the rod hole 482 to the longitudinal position of the rod 162 at the midpoint of the rod 162. The first protrusion 490 and the second protrusion 492 reduce the cross-sectional area within the rod 162 to reduce the pressure drop across the rod 162 when dispensing atomized liquid.

[00101] Valve 494 is configured to form a tight seal between rod 162 and screw 160 to prevent air and/or spray fluid from leaking between rod 162 and screw 160. As shown in FIG. 21, valve 494 includes an annular valve segment 500, an outer valve wall 502 extending downward from annular valve segment 500, and a valve retainer 504 extending upward and radially outward from annular valve segment 500. The valve 494 is located in the screw 160, and the valve retainer 504 is configured to abut a correspondingly shaped protrusion extending from the screw 160 to retain the valve 494 in the screw 160. The outer surface 510 of the outer wall of the valve defines the interface between the valve 494 and the screw 160, and forms a sealing surface between valve 494 and screw 160 to prevent spray liquid or ambient air from entering between valve 494 and screw 160.

[00102] Referring to FIG. 22, an inner valve wall 512 extends from an annular valve segment 500, and an inner valve inner wall surface 514 defines an interface between valve 494 and stem 162, and forms a sealing surface between valve 494 and stem 162 to prevent spray liquid or ambient air from entering between the valve. 494 and stem 162. The inner valve wall 512 is formed by an upper sealing vane 520 extending upward from the valve annular segment 500 and a lower sealing vane 522 extending downward from the valve annular segment 500. The inner surface 524 of the upper sealing vane extends the inner surface 514 of the inner valve wall upward relative to the annular valve segment 500, and the inner surface 530 of the lower sealing vane extends the inner surface 514 of the inner valve wall downward relative to the annular segment 500 of the valve. An upper sealing vane 520 and a lower sealing vane 522 extend from the valve annular segment 500 a distance sufficient to cover the lower rod end portion 424 at each of the at least one rod opening 442. In one embodiment, valve 494 is made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE), however, other similar materials may be used to construct valve 494 without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[00103] The screw 160 provides a fluid connection between the rod 162 and the chamber 182 and is configured to function as a coupling that converts the rotational movement of the sleeve 112 and the spray channel 140 into a linear axial movement of the nut 174 along the longitudinal axis 114 of the spray device. As shown in FIG. 23, the screw 160 is formed by a screw main wall 532 defining a screw upper end portion 534 and a screw lower end portion 540. The screw flange 542 extends radially outward from the upper end portion 534 of the screw at the upper end 544 of the screw and is configured to engage with the spray channel 140. In particular, the screw flange 542 includes at least one screw clutch tooth 550 corresponding to at least one tooth 382 a spray channel coupling, wherein said at least one screw coupling tooth 550 is configured to be correspondingly interconnected and rotatably locked with at least one spray channel coupling tooth 382.

[00104] A screw thread 552 formed on an outer surface 554 of a main screw wall extends between a screw flange 542 and a screw sealing surface 560 compatible with the piston 180 along the longitudinal axis 114 of the spray device. The screw thread 552 provides an interface with the nut 174 such that when the screw 160 is rotated with the spray channel 140, the nut 174 is driven in linear motion along the longitudinal axis 114 of the spray device, with correspondingly shaped elements of the nut 174 moving along at least one track 252 bowl walls. The screw thread 552 also includes a screw thread stop 562, which is the surface on which the screw thread 552 ends and provides an end stop for rotation relative to the nut 174, corresponding to the completion of charging the spray dose.

[00105] The screw sealing surface 560 allows the piston 180 to slide relative to the screw 160 and maintain a tight seal to the chamber 182. The length of the screw sealing surface 560 along the longitudinal axis 114 of the spray device is sufficient to allow the nut 174 and piston 180 to travel along the longitudinal axis 114 of the spray device. , corresponding to the delivery of at least one dose of sprayed liquid. The screw main wall 532 defines a screw channel 564 extending through a screw hole 570 at the lower end of the screw 572 at a portion 540 of the lower end of the screw.

[00106] As depicted in FIG. 24, the screw lower end protrusion 574 extends radially inward from the screw main wall 532 at the screw lower end 572 into the screw hole 570. The protrusion 574 of the lower end of the screw is configured to prevent the passage of the ball 184 into the screw channel 564 while simultaneously allowing the spray liquid to pass into the screw channel 564.

[00107] In one embodiment, the screw 160 is made of polyoxymethylene (POM). In another embodiment, the screw 160 is made of polyethylene (PET). It should be noted that the screw 160 may be made of materials similar to POM and/or PET without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[00108] The nut 174 is configured to convert the rotational movement of the screw 160 about the longitudinal axis 114 of the spray device into linear axial movement of the nut 174, the main spring 172 and the piston 180 along the longitudinal axis 114 of the spray device. As shown in FIG. 25 and 26, the nut 174 is formed by an inner nut wall 580 and an outer nut wall 582 connected to the inner nut wall 580 by a nut bottom 584 at a lower end portion 590 of the nut. The bottom 584 of the nut is configured to hold the main spring 172 in the longitudinal direction, and the inner nut wall 580 and the outer nut wall 582 limit the radial movement of the main spring 172 relative to the longitudinal axis 114 of the spray device. Thus, the nut 174 is configured to receive a main spring 172 and is driven by the main spring 172 across the bowl 150 along the longitudinal axis 114 of the spray device as the top portion 102 rotates relative to the bottle portion 104.

[00109] The outer nut wall 582 includes at least one outer nut wall protrusion 592 corresponding in shape to the at least one cup wall track 252. When at least one nut outer wall protrusion 592 respectively engages with said at least one bowl wall track 252, the nut 174 is pivotally locked to the bowl 150 and is slidable along the longitudinal axis 114 of the spray device relative to the bowl 150.

[00110] The inner wall 580 of the nut includes a nut thread 594 defined therein on the upper end portion 600 of the nut. The nut threads 594 interact with and conform to the shape of the screw threads 552, resulting in the rotation of the screw threads 552 and its sliding movement along the nut threads 594, the nut threads 594 provide linear movement of the nut 174 along the longitudinal axis 114 of the spray device. The nut thread 594 includes at least one nut thread end surface 602 defining an end of the nut thread 594 that constitutes a rotation end stop between the screw 160 and the nut 174.

[00111] The inner nut wall 580 includes at least one inner nut wall retainer 604 defined on the inner surface 610 of the inner nut wall and configured to interact with correspondingly shaped elements of the piston 180. The outer nut wall 582 includes at least one retainer 612 outer wall of the nut, located on the outer surface 614 of the outer wall of the nut and configured to interact with correspondingly shaped elements of the piston 180. When the at least one inner wall of the nut 604 and the at least one outer wall of the nut 612 respectively interact with piston 180, nut 174 is fixed with piston 180 on the lower end portion 590 of the nut.

[00112] In one embodiment, the nut 174 is made of polycarbonate (PC). In an alternative embodiment, the nut 174 is made of polyoxymethylene (POM). In an alternative embodiment, the nut 174 is made of polyamide (PA). In an alternative embodiment, the nut 174 is made of polyethylene (PET). It should be noted that the nut 174 can be made of materials similar to PC, POM, PA and/or PET, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[00113] The piston 180, bowl 150, and screw 160 collectively form a chamber 182 that is sufficiently sealed to prevent leakage of spray liquid from the chamber 182 and to prevent ambient air from entering the chamber 182. When the spray device 100 is assembled, the piston 180 is attached to the lower end nut portion 590 and is configured to engage with cup 150 to act as an end stop for nut 174. As shown in FIG. 27, piston 180 includes an inner piston wall 620 and an outer piston wall 622 connected to the outer piston wall 622 by a piston baffle 624. The piston inner plane 630 located on the upper end portion 632 of the piston inner wall is a sealing surface formed by the inner upper piston seal vane 634 and the inner lower piston seal vane 640 extending respectively upward and downward from the upper end portion 632 of the piston inner wall, wherein the inner plane 630 of the piston is configured to interact and seal against the sealing surface 560 of the screw. The outer piston plane 642 located on the upper end portion 644 of the outer piston wall is a sealing surface formed by the outer upper piston seal vane 650 and the outer lower piston seal vane 652 extending respectively upward and downward from the upper end portion 644 of the outer piston wall, wherein the outer plane 642 of the piston is configured to interact with the inner surface 254 of the bowl wall on the lower portion 250 of the bowl wall.

[00114] With reference to FIG. 28, the inner piston wall 620 includes an inner piston wall retainer 654 formed on an outer surface 660 of the inner piston wall, wherein the inner piston wall retainer 654 is configured to interact with a nut 174 and secure the piston 180 to the nut 174. The outer piston wall 622 includes a retainer 662 outer wall of the piston, formed on the inner surface 664 of the outer piston wall, and the outer piston wall retainer 662 is configured to interact with the nut 174 and secure the piston 180 to the nut 174. In one embodiment, the piston 180 is made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE), however Materials similar to LDPE may be used to manufacture the piston 180 without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[00115] One embodiment of the spray device 100 includes a gasket 670 located in the cover 142 and configured to retain the upper end 192 of the spring. As shown in FIG. 29, the gasket 670 includes an upper surface 672 of the gasket having a curvature shaped to fit and conform to the lower surface 300 of the lid onto which the gasket 670 is configured to fit. The spacer 670 includes a bottom surface 674 of the spacer configured to support the main spring 172 axially along the longitudinal axis 114 of the spray device. At least one spacer rib 680 extends downward from the bottom surface 674 of the spacer and is configured to maintain a radial position of the main spring 172 relative to the cover 142 relative to the longitudinal axis 114 of the spray device. In one embodiment, the spacer 670 is made of polypropylene (PP), however, a similar material can be used to make the spacer 670 without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[00116] Button 122 is configured to be pressed by a user into spray device 100, which in turn causes spray port 140 to recess relative to screw 160. As shown in FIG. 30 and 31, button 122 includes a button press surface 682 that is an upper surface 120 of the top portion and is operable by a user. The outer button ring 684 defines the outer periphery of the button 122 configured to fit the upper end portion 220 of the sleeve. The outer button ring 684 includes an outer button ring tab 690 extending downward from the bottom surface 692 of the outer button ring.

[00117] Button 122 includes an inner button ring 694 and a middle button ring 700 located between the outer button ring 684 and the inner button ring 694 in the radial direction of the button 122 relative to the longitudinal axis 114 of the spray device. Each of the inner button ring 694 and the middle button ring 700 is configured to interact with the spray channel 140 and transmit axial motion between the button 122 and the spray channel 140 in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis 114 of the spray device.

[00118] The middle button ring 700 includes at least one button clip 702 configured to secure the button 122 to the spray channel 140. As shown in FIG. 32, the at least one button clip 702 tapers at a lower end 704 of the button clip. In the illustrated embodiment, the at least one button clip 702 is three clips, however, more or fewer clips may be used without departing from the scope of the present invention. In one embodiment, the button is made of polypropylene (PP), however, a similar material could be used to make the button 122 without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[00119] The bottle portion 104 is configured to store a reservoir of spray liquid and attached to the bowl 150 such that the bottle portion 104 and bowl 150 can be rotated together relative to the sleeve 112 when charging a dose of spray liquid. In FIG. 33, the upper end portion 202 of the bottle portion includes an upper bottle portion projection 710, a lower bottle portion projection 204, an upper bottle portion neck 712 between the upper bottle portion projection 710 and an upper end 714 of the bottle portion along the longitudinal axis 114 of the spray device, and a lower bottle portion neck 720 between an upper projection 710 of the bottle portion and a lower projection 204 of the bottle portion along the longitudinal axis 114 of the spray device.

[00120] The upper neck 712 of the bottle portion includes a threaded portion with at least one top thread 722, at least one bottom thread 724, and at least one bottle portion retainer 730 extending from an outer surface 214 of the bottle portion, the threaded portion configured to interact with corresponding elements of the cup 150 to secure the cup 150 to the bottle portion 104. The bottle portion 104 also includes at least one bottle portion stopper 732 suitably provided behind an end pivot point indicated by the at least one top thread 722 and indicated by at least one lower thread 724. The at least one bottle portion stopper 732 is a rotation stopper for the bowl 150 in the position in which the cup 150 is attached to the bottle portion 104 and when charging a dose of spray liquid. In this design, the cup 150 is screwed onto the bottle portion 104 until the bottle portion 104 rests against the upper projection 710 of the bottle portion and the at least one bottle portion stopper 732, wherein the at least one bottle portion retainer 730 pivotally holds the cup 150 with the bottle portion 104 and allowing the bowl 150 to be secured to the bottle portion 104.

[00121] The bottom projection 204 of the bottle portion is configured to support the sleeve 112 on the bottle portion 104 and to allow rotation of the sleeve 112 about the longitudinal axis 114 of the spray device relative to the bottle portion 104. For this purpose, the outer surface 214 of the bottle portion on the bottom neck 720 of the bottle portion is made smooth and rounded about the longitudinal axis 114 of the spray device, and the inner surface 212 of the sleeve on the bottom neck 720 of the bottle part is made smooth and rounded about the longitudinal axis 114 of the spray device to ensure a fit around the bottom neck 720 of the bottle part.

[00122] The bottle portion 104 contains a reservoir of spray liquid and is made chemically resistant to the spray liquid. Since the bottle portion 104 is an external component of the spray device 100, the bottle portion 104 is also designed to be impact resistant. In one embodiment, the bottle portion 104 is made of polyethylene (PET). In another embodiment, the bottle portion is made of polypropylene (PP). It should be noted that the bottle portion 104 can be made to a variety of specific tolerances and/or made from a wide variety of similar materials without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[00123] The bottle portion 104 is made interchangeable with respect to the remaining parts of the spray device 100. The bottle portion 104 is removed from the spray device 100 by rotating the bottle portion 104 relative to the sleeve 112 in the opposite direction to that used when charging the spray device 100 with a dose of atomized liquid, as shown in FIG. 34, and by pulling the bottle portion 104 out of the sleeve 112, as shown in FIG. 35. To screw the bowl 150 onto the bottle portion 104, the spray device 100 requires the application of a torque that is less than the torque required to charge the spray dose into the spray device 100. This allows the bowl 150 and bottle portion 104 to be assembled without charging the spray device 100.

[00124] Alternative designs of nebulization device 100 may be used to abruptly stop dispensing a dose of nebulized liquid. In FIG. 36 shows an embodiment of a spray device 100 in which the piston 180 is an end stop. For this purpose, according to the drawing, the piston 180 ends dispensing a dose of atomized liquid upon contact with the bottom 190 of the bowl so that the main spring 172 cannot exert pressure on the atomized liquid. As depicted, the piston bottom surface 734 has a substantially planar shape sloping toward the bowl bottom 190 about the longitudinal axis 114 of the spray device, and the bowl bottom 190 includes an upper bowl bottom surface 740 shaped to match the piston bottom surface 734, the upper surface 740 The bottom of the bowl has a flat shape with a radial slope in the direction from the piston 180 around the longitudinal axis 114 of the spray device.

[00125] In FIG. 37 and 38 show an alternative embodiment of the spray device 100 in which the ball 184 is replaced by a release valve 742 configured to allow spray liquid to pass into the chamber 182 from the dip tube 134 and prevent spray liquid from exiting the chamber 182 into the dip tube 134. Purpose, the outlet valve 742 is configured to be actuated from an open position to a closed position and maintain a closed position from the start of dispensing the spray liquid shown in FIG. 37 until the dispensing of the spray liquid shown in FIG. 38. When the release valve 742 is actuated in the open position, the flow path for the spray liquid through the release valve 742 is open, allowing the spray liquid to move from the dip tube 134 into the chamber 182. The completion of dispensing the spray liquid occurs when the piston 180 is driven. downward, causing the piston protrusion 744 to interact with the release valve 742 and the cup 150 and drive the release valve 742 to the closed position by sufficiently pressing down on the release valve 742.

[00126] As depicted in FIG. 39, the release valve 742 is formed from a release valve ball 750 comprising a release valve ball sealing surface 752 and a tail portion 754. The release valve ball sealing surface 752 forms an airtight seal with the bowl 150 when the release valve 742 is seated in the bowl 150. The tail portion 754 extends radially outward from the outlet valve 742 and is operable to be pressed by the piston 180 to force the outlet valve 742 to a closed position, and otherwise pressed by fluid pressure in the spray liquid to force the outlet valve 742 to an open position. Thus, completion of dispensing the spray liquid occurs when the piston protrusion 744 sufficiently drives the tail portion 754 downward to drive the outlet valve 742 to a closed position.

[00127] An alternative implementation to the ball 184 and release valve 742 embodiments shown in FIG. 36-39 is a valve formed through screw holes. In this embodiment, the screw holes are formed by laser drilling.

[00128] In FIG. 40-51 show steps of a method for assembling the spray device 100. FIG. 40 shows the outlet 144 assembled with the bowl 150, with the outlet retainer 354 gripping the bowl 150 to secure the outlet 144 to the bowl 150. It should be noted that the assembly of the bowl 150 and the outlet 144 does not require rotary adjustment of the bowl 150 and the outlet 144 to each other. In FIG. 41 shows ball 184 lowered into bowl 150 and seated in bowl ball valve seat 264. The next step in the method of assembling the spray device 100 includes assembling the piston 180 with the nut 174 according to FIG. 42 and lubricating the outer plane 642 of the piston before assembling the piston 180 and nut 174 with the cover 150 according to FIG. 43. As shown in the drawings, nut 174 and cup 150 include mutually shaped elements in at least one cup wall track 252 and at least one outer nut wall protrusion 592 that, when interacting with each other, maintain rotational alignment between nut 174, piston 180 and bowl 150.

[00129] In FIG. 44 shows the main spring 172 in an uncompressed state, lowered into the nut 174 such that the lower end 194 of the spring is seated at the bottom 584 of the nut between the inner wall 580 of the nut and the outer wall 582 of the nut. Lubricant is applied to the main spring 172 or the cover 142 on the bottom surface 300 of the cover where the main spring 172 contacts the cover 142. Referring to FIG. 45, the cover 142 is lowered onto the main spring 172 and the bowl 150, which causes the main spring 172 to be compressed, causing the main spring 172 to be pre-compressed in the spray device 100. The bowl 150 and the cover 142 are welded to each other by friction welding to form a single piece containing the main spring 172. In one embodiment of the assembly method, the cup 150 and cover 142 are subjected to active cooling after friction welding. The upper end 192 of the spring and the lower end 194 of the spring are ground to fit the cap 142 and nut 174, respectively. In one embodiment, the main spring 172 has a free length to diameter ratio of approximately 3.95, however, the main spring 172 can have various length to diameter ratios without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[00130] In FIG. 46 shows screw 160 assembled with bowl 150, piston 180, nut 174, and cap 142. Before screw 160 is inserted through cap 142, nut 174, and piston 180, screw threads 552 and screw sealing surface 560 are lubricated. In FIG. 47 shows a valve 494 inserted into a screw 160, the outer wall of the valve 502 forming a seal with the sealing surface of the screw, the valve 494 being fixedly secured to the screw 160 by a valve retainer 504 engaging a screw retainer 760 shaped to match the valve retainer 504.

[00131] In FIG. 48 shows a spray channel assembly 762 formed from a spray channel 140 assembled with a nozzle 130, a rod 162, and a return spring 152. As shown, the rod 162 is inserted into the rod entrance 154 until the rod flange 434 abuts the lower end surface 764 of the spray channel. The return spring 152 is seated on the lower end surface 764 of the spray channel around the rod 162, and the nozzle 130 is inserted onto the nozzle projection 364.

[00132] The spray channel assembly 762 is assembled with valve 494 and screw 160 in FIG. 49. According to the drawing, the rod 162 is inserted into the valve 494, the return spring 152 is seated in the screw 160 and rests on the screw retainer 760, and at least one tooth 382 of the spray channel coupling is fitted to at least one tooth 550 of the screw coupling.

[00133] In FIG. 50 shows the sleeve 112 assembled with the motor 132. As shown in the drawing, at least one sleeve bearing 274 is in contact with the inner surface 212 of the sleeve to secure the bowl 150 in a radial position to the sleeve 112 relative to the longitudinal axis 114 of the spray device. In addition, the upper bearing retainer 240 engages the cover flange 292 to lock the cover 142 in a longitudinal position relative to the sleeve 112. In FIG. 51 shows a spray device assembly 100 in which a dip tube 134 is inserted into a dip tube inlet 260 and a bottle portion 104 is attached to a bowl 150 on top of the dip tube 134.

[00134] In FIG. 52-54 show a method of charging and dispensing a dose of nebulized liquid through the nebulizer device 100. Referring to FIG. 52, the sleeve 112 is rotated relative to the bottle portion 104, causing the main spring 172 to compress and force the piston 180 and nut 174 against the cap 142. The nut 174 and piston 180 are also driven to provide sliding movement along the cup 150, resulting in the piston 180 draws a dose of atomized liquid in the form of a dispensable amount of fluid into the chamber 182. Thus, the torque applied to the motor 132 that compresses the main spring 172 draws a dispensable amount of fluid into the chamber 182

[00135] Also according to FIG. 52, the ball valve formed between the ball 184 and the cup 150 is closed and prevents the spray liquid from returning to the bottle portion 104 from the chamber 182. Since the valve 494 is closed by the rod 162, the liquid in the chamber 182 cannot escape from it, and the piston 180 remains stationary. Under these conditions, the spray device 100 is charged with a dose of the sprayed liquid. The at least one bottle portion stop 732 prevents overcompression of the main spring 172 and therefore overcharging of the spray device 100. It should be noted that aspects of charging torque, bowl pressure, push force required to operate the button, and volume of spray dispensed the liquids are given by way of example and may be modified without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[00136] As depicted in FIG. 53, the button 122 is pressed in a downward direction, causing the at least one spray channel clutch tooth 382 and the at least one screw clutch tooth 550 to disengage. When the button 122 is pressed, the spray channel 140 pushes the rod 162 in a downward direction through the valve 494, which causes at least one rod hole 442 to be pushed beyond the inner surface 514 of the inner wall of the valve, opening a flow path for sprayed liquid through the rod 162. open flow path from chamber 182 to nozzle 130, pressure from main spring 172 operates piston 180 to compress chamber 182 and dispense a dose of spray liquid through screw 160, rod 162, spray channel 140, and nozzle 130. Because button 122 can be released at any the moment at which the screw 160 may be at any pivot point relative to the spray passage 140, at least one spray passage coupling tooth 382 is configured to engage with at least one screw coupling tooth 550 at any relative rotation angle to assist in the return of the button 122 extended position.

[00137] As shown in FIG. 54, dispensing of the spray liquid is completed when the bottom surface 734 of the piston contacts the bottom 190 of the bowl, releasing the pressure exerted on the chamber 182 by the main spring 172. Dispensing of the spray liquid may also be completed when the user stops pressing the button 122, which causes the specified to move at least one rod hole 442 back into the valve 494 to seal the fluid flow between the rod 162 and the screw 160. The process of pressing the button 122 from the extended position begins with the detachment of said at least one screw clutch tooth 550 from the said at least one tooth 382 spray channel coupling, which allows the screw 160 to rotate relative to the spray channel 140, which allows the main spring 172 to drive downward the nut 174 and, accordingly, the piston 180 with concomitant compression of the chamber 182. The spray device 100 is configured to detach the specified at least one screw clutch tooth 550 from said at least one spray channel clutch tooth 382 before opening at least one rod hole 442 from under valve 494 relative to screw 160. Opening at least one rod hole 442 opens a flow path from chamber 182 to nozzle 130 When the button 122 is fully recessed, the spray channel 140 extends to the cover 142, where the lower end 770 of the spray channel branch of the at least one spray channel branch 372 abuts the cover 142.

[00138] In FIG. 55 shows the sequence of movement of the button 122 corresponding to the disconnection of the at least one screw clutch tooth 550 from the at least one spray channel clutch tooth 382. According to the first illustrated movement sequence of the button 772, the button 122 travels a total travel distance of approximately 4 mm between the extended position and the fully recessed position. Disengagement of said at least one screw coupling tooth 550 from said at least one spray channel coupling tooth 382 as a first button movement sequence 772 occurs during the first approximately 2.5 mm of button 122 travel. Button 122 additionally moves approximately 0.6 mm mm in the gap 774 to ensure complete disengagement of the at least one screw clutch tooth 550 from the at least one spray channel clutch tooth 382, and the additional stroke of the button 122 of approximately 1.8 mm represents the second sequence of movement of the button 780 corresponding to the opening the specified at least one hole 442 of the rod from under the valve 494. An additional stroke of the button 122 of 0.1 mm occurs until the button 122 reaches a completely recessed position.

[00139] As shown in FIG. 56 and 57, the beeper blade 224 and at least one beeper fin 310 collectively form a beeper device that produces an audible click when the sleeve 112 is rotated an incremental distance relative to the cover 142. By producing a click at each incremental distance traveled by the sleeve 112 relative to cover 142, an audible alarm device indicates the state of charge of the spray device 100 and the amount of spray liquid that the spray device 100 is ready to dispense in its current configuration. It should be noted that the sleeve 112 and the cap 142 do not rotate relative to each other when the liquid is sprayed, and accordingly, the audible alarm device does not produce an audible click when dispensing the sprayed liquid.

[00140] As depicted, the at least one beeper fin 310 is four beeper fins located around the beeper channel 304, causing the beeper device to produce four audible clicks when charging the atomizer device 100, however, in the atomizer device 100, a different number of beeper blades 224 and beeper fins 310 may be used to produce a different number of audible clicks at different ranges of rotation between the sleeve 112 and the cover 142 without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[00141] In an alternative embodiment of the spray device 100 shown in FIG. 58, the at least one bowl rib 270 is elongated and configured to be exposed from the sleeve 112 and forms part of the outer surface 110 of the spray device with the bottle portion 104. In this design, the at least one bowl rib 270 is configured to rotation about the longitudinal axis 114 of the spray device independent of the screw 160 and without applying torque to the motor 132, and is coupled to the applied torque only through the threaded portion of the upper end portion 202 of the bottle portion. This design allows the spray device 100 to be closed after filling the bottle portion 104 without charging the spray device 100. Since no propellant is required to spray the liquid, the bottle portion 104 can be completely filled with the spray liquid without providing propellant space in the bottle portion 104.

[00142] It should be understood that various embodiments of the above and other features and functions, or alternatives or variations thereof, can be combined to advantage in many other systems or devices used in other applications. It should also be noted that various currently unforeseen or unexpected alternatives, modifications, variations or improvements may subsequently be made by those skilled in the art provided they are covered within the scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims.

Claims (47)

1. Spray device containing: bottle part; sleeve and engine; wherein the motor comprises a main spring which, when compressed, creates a pressure in a chamber containing an amount of fluid capable of being dispensed from the bottle portion, wherein the sleeve and the motor are designed to be screwed onto the bottle part without compressing the spring, the engine is configured to selectively interact with the spray channel configured to engage the engine, selectively charge the engine, and open a flow path from the chamber to the nozzle, and the motor includes a screw interacting with the spray channel when the button is in an extended position, the screw and spray channel interacting between at least one clutch tooth of the spray channel and at least one clutch tooth of the screw. 2. The spray device of claim 1, wherein the bottle portion includes a rotation stopper configured to cooperate with the motor as an end rotation stopper when the motor is attached to the bottle portion. 3. The spray device according to claim 1, wherein pressing the button from the extended position to the recessed position involves pressing the button by: a first movement sequence in which the motor is disconnected from the spray channel; clearance and a second motion sequence in which the rod is pushed through the valve by the spray channel to open a flow path from the chamber to the nozzle. 4. The spray device according to claim 1, wherein a torque applied to the motor compressing the main spring draws fluid into the chamber. 5. Spray device containing: bottle part; sleeve and engine; wherein the motor comprises a main spring which, when compressed, creates a pressure in a chamber containing an amount of fluid capable of being dispensed from the bottle portion, the sleeve and the motor are designed to be screwed onto the bottle part without compressing the spring, the motor includes a bowl having a bowl wall and at least one bowl fin projecting radially outward from the bowl wall, and said at least one edge of the bowl forms part of the outer surface of the spray device with the bottle part. 6. The spray device according to claim 5, in which said at least one edge of the bowl is designed to rotate around the longitudinal axis of the spray device without applying torque to the engine. 7. Spray device containing: bottle part; sleeve and engine; wherein rotation of the sleeve relative to the bottle by the user creates pressure in the chamber containing the fluid to force it out of the bottle, wherein the sleeve is configured to provide audible and/or tactile feedback to the user when the sleeve is rotated, allowing the user to select the amount of fluid to be dispensed, wherein the sleeve also includes at least one sleeve rib located along the sleeve, wherein said at least one sleeve rib is configured to hold the engine in a rotating position with the sleeve when the sleeve is rotated, and the sounder blade is located on the lower part of the said at least at least one edge of the sleeve. 8. The spray device of claim 7, wherein the sleeve includes an audible annunciator blade projecting toward the engine, the audible annunciator blade being configured to produce at least one audible click with additional engine characteristics when the sleeve is rotated. 9. The spray device according to claim 7, wherein said at least one rib of the sleeve is configured to interact with the spray channel to provide a coupling configured to selectively interact with the engine. 10. Spray device according to claim 7, in which the sleeve is configured to selectively interact with the engine. 11. Spray device according to claim 7, also containing a button, in which: the sleeve interacts with the motor when the button is in the extended position; And The sleeve is disconnected from the motor when the button is in the fully recessed position. 12. Spray device containing: bottle part; sleeve and engine; wherein the motor comprises a spring which, when compressed, creates a pressure in the chamber containing an amount of fluid capable of being dispensed from the bottle portion, wherein the spring is enclosed between the cup and the lid, which are fused to each other, and the lid contains holes for interaction with a corresponding friction welding tool. 13. The spray device according to claim 12, wherein the bowl and the lid are connected to each other by friction fusion welding. 14. The spray device of claim 12, further comprising a lid weld wall extending integrally from the lid toward the bowl, surrounding and contacting the shoulder of the bowl to form a weld surface between the lid and the bowl. 15. Spray device according to claim 12, also containing: a nut that axially holds the spring in the cover and bowl; And a screw inserted into the engine and interacting with the nut, wherein the screw is configured to drive the nut in a linear direction corresponding to the rotation of the screw with the sleeve relative to the bottle part, wherein the linear movement of the nut compresses the spring to form pressure in the chamber. 16. The spray device of claim 15, further comprising a piston secured by a nut to a lower end portion of the nut, the screw, bowl and piston forming a chamber. 17. The spray device according to claim 12, also containing a ball seated in the bowl and forming a one-way ball valve that prevents the return of fluid from the chamber to the bottle portion.