U.S. patent application number 15/292199 was filed with the patent office on 2017-02-02 for sprayer.
This patent application is currently assigned to The Fountainhead Group, Inc.. The applicant listed for this patent is The Fountainhead Group, Inc.. Invention is credited to Todd Abernethy, Andrew Clarey, George A. Mitchell, Mario J. Restive, John Vaughan.
Application Number | 20170027151 15/292199 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 51660016 |
Filed Date | 2017-02-02 |
United States Patent
Application |
20170027151 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Mitchell; George A. ; et
al. |
February 2, 2017 |
Sprayer
Abstract
A lawn and garden sprayer system having a container and a spray
wand fluidly connected to the container is provided. The spray wand
includes a wand housing that has a slot formed in one side thereof
that is configured to engage a lug formed on one side of the
container for purposes of stowing the wand during shipping and when
not in use. A communications card assembly is detachably connected
between the container and spray wand during shipment and prior to
its first use. The hose includes a coupler end that engaged a cap
on the container and facilitates creation of a fluid circuit
between the fluid contents in the container and the wand.
Inventors: |
Mitchell; George A.; (Utica,
NY) ; Restive; Mario J.; (Frankfort, NY) ;
Abernethy; Todd; (Skaneateles, NY) ; Clarey;
Andrew; (Clinton, NY) ; Vaughan; John;
(Waterville, NY) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
The Fountainhead Group, Inc. |
New York Mills |
NY |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
The Fountainhead Group,
Inc.
New York Mills
NY
|
Family ID: |
51660016 |
Appl. No.: |
15/292199 |
Filed: |
October 13, 2016 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
14483876 |
Sep 11, 2014 |
9497953 |
|
|
15292199 |
|
|
|
|
61876379 |
Sep 11, 2013 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A01M 7/0046 20130101;
B05B 15/63 20180201; B05B 12/002 20130101; F16L 37/40 20130101;
A01C 23/047 20130101; B05B 9/0861 20130101; A01C 15/02 20130101;
B05B 9/0426 20130101 |
International
Class: |
A01M 7/00 20060101
A01M007/00; A01C 23/04 20060101 A01C023/04; F16L 37/40 20060101
F16L037/40; B05B 9/08 20060101 B05B009/08; B05B 15/06 20060101
B05B015/06; B05B 12/00 20060101 B05B012/00; A01C 15/02 20060101
A01C015/02; B05B 9/04 20060101 B05B009/04 |
Claims
1. A sprayer assembly, comprising: a. a container for storing fluid
therein; b. a spray wand comprising a handle portion and a wand
portion; c. a motor contained within said handle portion; and d. a
fluid circuit assembly, comprising: i. a manually actuable trigger
mounted to said spray wand; ii. a fluid inlet that is in fluid
communication with fluid contained within said container; iii. a
fluid outlet positioned in fluid communication with said wand
portion; and iv. a valve that is movable upon user actuation of
said trigger from a first position that prevents fluid from flowing
from said fluid inlet to said fluid outlet and a second position
wherein fluid can flow from said fluid inlet to said fluid
outlet.
2. The sprayer assembly according to claim 1, wherein said wand
portion and said handle portion are pivotally connected to one
another.
3. The sprayer assembly according to claim 1, wherein said fluid
circuit assembly further comprises a spring positioned in biased
relation to said valve.
Description
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] The present application relates to and is a divisional of
Applicant's U.S. Non-Provisional application, Ser. No. 14/483,876,
filed Sep. 11, 2014, now allowed, which, in turn, relates to and
claims priority to Applicant's U.S. Provisional Patent Application,
Ser. No. 61/876,379, filed Sep. 11, 2013. The entirety of the
aforementioned application is hereby incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND
[0002] 1. Field of Invention
[0003] The present invention relates generally to lawn and garden
sprayers.
[0004] 2. Background of Art
[0005] Lawn or garden sprayers use pressure to apply liquid
fertilizers, pesticides, or other chemicals. A recent development
is to utilize a battery-powered electric motor in the sprayer wand
to provide the spraying pressure, rather than hand pumping.
[0006] For present-day sprayers packaged at point of sale, the wand
and its hose are stored separately from the sealed container and
held in a separate "holster" carry device that is attached to the
container, with the wand pointing up. Once the wand and hose are
unpackaged and assembled for use, the holster may then be used for
continued carry and storage of the wand. The holster uses tabs and
knobs to reattach the wand, which is cumbersome for the user, and
as a result does not hold the wand and hose as securely as
originally packaged.
[0007] The hose is typically connected to the container by sliding
the hose end plug onto the horizontally positioned spout on the
container cap. In this position the spout mechanism is designed
such that the container is sealed. To use the sprayer, the spout
must be rotated from the horizontal to the vertical position. With
the spout in the up position, the fluid circuit to the wand is
opened. Simultaneously, a small open port in the cap under the
spout is exposed which permits air to enter the container; without
this air port the fluid would not flow. For storage, the spout can
be repositioned horizontally, in order for the spout mechanism to
seal the container.
[0008] For contemporary battery-powered wand sprayers, the
batteries, electric motor, pump mechanism, and related electrical
and fluid circuits are housed in the wand handle. A user-operated
trigger functions to actuate the motor and to simultaneously allow
fluid to flow to the pump. Fluid flow to the pump is controlled by
a valve body that is separate from the motor housing. Having the
valve body separate from the motor housing adds complexity to the
design.
OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES
[0009] It is a principal object and advantage of the present
invention to provide a sprayer that enables improved ease of
operation and increased functional efficiency.
[0010] Other objects and advantages of the present invention will
in part appear hereinafter and in part be obvious.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] In accordance with the foregoing objects and advantages, an
embodiment of the present invention provides a lawn and garden
sprayer system having a container and a spray wand fluidly
connected to the container is provided. The spray wand includes a
wand housing that has a slot formed in one side thereof that is
configured to engage a lug formed on one side of the container for
purposes of stowing the wand during shipping and when not in use. A
communications card assembly is detachably connected between the
container and spray wand during shipment and prior to its first
use. The hose includes a coupler end that engaged a cap on the
container and facilitates creation of a fluid circuit between the
fluid contents in the container and the wand. In another embodiment
of the invention a motor is housed in a wand handle and includes a
fluid valve body integrated therein which is actuable between open
and closed positions via a manually operable trigger mounted to the
wand housing.
[0012] In one aspect, the present invention provides a sprayer
assembly, comprising a container; a spray wand; a hose fluidly
interconnecting the spray wand to said container; and a fluid
circuit that comprises: a coupler attached to the hose and adapted
for attachment to the container; a stem extending downwardly from
the coupler along a longitudinal axis; air and fluid passageways
extending from within the container through the coupler; a plunger
extending along the longitudinal axis and movable between sealed
and unsealed relation to the air and fluid passageways; and a
spring extending along the longitudinal axis and positioned between
the stem and the plunger, whereby the spring is compressed when the
coupler is attached to the container and biases the plunger out of
sealing relationship with the air and fluid passageways.
[0013] In another aspect, the present invention provides a sprayer
assembly, comprises: a container; a spray wand; a hose fluidly
interconnecting the spray wand to the container; and a fluid
circuit that comprises: a coupler attached to the hose and adapted
for attachment to the container; a stem extending downwardly from
the coupler along a longitudinal axis; an air passageway extending
from within said container through the coupler; a fluid passageway
extending from within the container through the coupler a plunger
extending along the longitudinal axis and movable between sealed
and unsealed relation to the one of air and fluid passageways; a
dip tube holder extending along the longitudinal axis; a valve
mounted within the container and movable between sealed and
unsealed relation to the one of the air and fluid passageways to
which the plunger is not relatively movable; and a spring extending
along the longitudinal axis and positioned between the dip tube
holder and the plunger, whereby the spring is compressed when the
coupler is attached to the container and biases the plunger out of
sealing relationship with the one of the air and fluid passageways
and biases the dip tube holder which in turn moves the valve out of
sealing relationship with the one of the air and fluid
passageways.
[0014] In another aspect, the present invention provides a sprayer
assembly, comprising: a container; a spray wand comprising a handle
portion and a wand portion, the handle portion comprising a slot
formed therein; a hose fluidly interconnecting the spray wand to
the container; a lug formed on the container and to which the slot
can engage and mount the spray wand to the container; and a
communication card assembly comprising a card retaining surface and
an assembly portion that engages the lug, the communication card
assembly being positioned between the container and the spray
wand.
[0015] In another aspect, the present invention provides a sprayer
assembly, comprising a container for storing fluid therein; a spray
wand comprising a handle portion and a wand portion; a motor
contained within the handle portion; and a fluid circuit assembly,
comprising a manually actuable trigger mounted to the spray wand; a
fluid inlet that is in fluid communication with fluid contained
within the container; a fluid outlet positioned in fluid
communication with the wand portion; and a valve that is movable
upon user actuation of the trigger from a first position that
prevents fluid from flowing from the fluid inlet to the fluid
outlet and a second position wherein fluid can flow from the fluid
inlet to the fluid outlet.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] The present invention will be more fully understood and
appreciated by reading the following Detailed Description in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0017] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a sprayer assembly with the
spray wand detached from the container in accordance with an aspect
of the present invention;
[0018] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a sprayer assembly with the
spray wand attached to the container in accordance with an aspect
of the present invention;
[0019] FIG. 3 is a front elevation view of the sprayer assembly in
its shipped/unused condition;
[0020] FIG. 4 is a front elevation view of a refill container in
accordance with an aspect of the present invention;
[0021] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a communications card
assembly in accordance with an aspect of the present invention;
[0022] FIGS. 6A-6C are partial, sequential perceptive views
illustrating connection of a hose to a container in accordance with
an aspect of the present invention;
[0023] FIGS. 7A-7C are perspective, exploded, and cross-sectional
views, respectively, of the hose coupler and container cap in
accordance with an aspect of the present invention;
[0024] FIGS. 8A and 8B are cross-sectional views of a first
configuration of the hose coupler and container cap in detached and
attached relation to one another, respectively;
[0025] FIGS. 9A and 9B are cross-sectional views of a second
configuration of the hose coupler and container cap in detached and
attached relation to one another, respectively;
[0026] FIGS. 10A and 10B are cross-sectional views of a third
configuration of the hose coupler and container cap in detached and
attached relation to one another, respectively;
[0027] FIGS. 11A and 11B are cross-sectional views of a fourth
configuration of the hose coupler and container cap in detached and
attached relation to one another, respectively; and
[0028] FIGS. 12A and 12B are cut-away and exploded perspective
views, respectively, of a motor housing, motor and valve body in
accordance with an aspect of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0029] Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference
numerals refer to like parts throughout, there is seen in FIGS. 1
and 2 a sprayer system designated generally by reference numeral 10
essentially comprising container 12 and spray wand 14 fluidly
connected to container 12 by flexible hose 16. More specifically,
flexible hose 16 extends between wand 14 and a cap 18 positioned on
top of container 12.
[0030] Spray wand 14 comprises a handle/wand housing 20 and wand
portion 22 that is telescopically attached to handle 20 for sliding
movement between stored (non-operational) and extended
(operational) positions. A lug 24 is formed on the rear wall of
container 12 and provides a mounting point for spray wand 20.
Handle 20 includes a slot 26 formed therein that is sized and
shaped to securely slidingly engage lug 24 from the top, thereby
permitting spray wand 14 to be stored on container 12 with wand
portion 22 facing downward during shipment/display and when not in
use and stored away. Having the wand portion 22 pointing down
prevents liquid from falling back into the wand when it is being
stored.
[0031] Referring to FIGS. 3-5, another feature associated with
container 12 is a communication card assembly 28 that attaches to
lug 24 and is positioned between container 12 and spray wand 14
when the sprayer system is shipped and displayed for sale.
Communication card assembly 28 comprises a card retaining portion
30 to which a card 31 may be adhered or otherwise attached and an
assembly attachment portion 32 and functions to communicate product
information to the consumer; contain the wand 14 and coiled hose
16; and provides security to the packaging. Card assembly 28 may be
released from container 12 by tearing along perforation lines 34
and then discarded or recycled by the customer during the
connection of the hose 16 to the container 12. FIG. 4 simply
represents a refill container 12 that can be supplied/sold without
the wand assembly 14 which is facilitated due to the use of lug 24
and slot 26 that permits reuse of the wand assembly 14.
[0032] To retain wand 14 and coiled hose 16, card assembly 28
includes locking mechanism 36 that engages slot 26 and prevents
detachment of the wand until the card assembly is detached from
container 12 via perforation lines 34.
[0033] With reference to FIGS. 6A-6C and 7A-7C, container 12
includes a cap 18 that is shipped with a safety seal 40 adhered
there over. Upon removal of safety cap 40 and detachment of wand 14
and hose 16 from the container 12, the coupler end 42 of hose 16
may be snappingly engaged with an exposed opening 44 on cap 38.
Coupler 42 includes a pair of opposed, biased latches 46, 48
extending downwardly therefrom that snappingly and securely engage
a flanged rim 50 formed on the underside of cap 18 to secure hose
16 to container 14, and create a fluid circuit between the fluid
contents within container 12 and wand 14, as will be described
hereinafter. Once connected, coupler 42 is capable of swiveling 360
degrees relative to cap 18.
[0034] With reference to FIGS. 8-11, there are four versions or
configurations in which the hose 16 establishes a fluid circuit
with the fluid contents of container 12. In the first version shown
in FIGS. 8A and 8B, coupler 42 includes a separate stem 52 that
extends downwardly from the coupler 42 and through cap 18. In this
version both the necessary air and fluid sealing is controlled by a
spring loaded plunger 54 that is positioned along the longitudinal
axis X-X that extends centrally through the cap 40 and is separated
from stem 52 by a spring 56 that is coaxially sandwiched between a
dip tube holder 57 (that holds/retains dip tube 59) and plunger 54.
In FIG. 8A which shows the coupler 42 disconnected from the cap 18,
spring 56 biases plunger 54 upwardly which annularly seals the
fluid circuit at point 58 and annularly seals the air passage at
point 60. In FIG. 8B which shows coupler 42 connected to cap 18,
stem 52 engages and compresses spring 56, thereby opening a fluid
passageway as reflected by arrow 62 as well as an air passageway as
reflected by arrow 64. The simultaneous opening of passageways 62
and 64 permits the flow of fluid out of container 38 (when the
trigger on the wand is manually activated and compressed air is
present within container 38 as understood in the art).
[0035] With reference to FIGS. 9A and 9B, a second version or
configuration in which hose 16 establishes a fluid circuit with the
fluid contents of container 18 is shown. In FIG. 9A, an umbrella
valve 66 is positioned in sealed relation to an air passageway
located at the bottom of cap 18. As shown in FIG. 9B, when the stem
52 engages and compresses spring 56 it displaces the plunger 54
which in turn causes the fluid passageway 62 (same as first
configuration) to open and also causes umbrella valve 66 to pop and
open air passageway 68. The simultaneous opening of passageways 62
and 68 permits the flow of fluid out of container 18 (when the
trigger on the wand is manually activated and compressed air is
present within container 38 as understood in the art).
[0036] With reference to FIGS. 10A and 10B, a third version or
configuration in which hose 16 establishes a fluid circuit with the
fluid contents of container 12 is shown. In this configuration,
everything is identical to the first version except that stem 52 is
integral with coupler 42 instead of separate as it is with the
first version. Otherwise, this third version and the first version
are identical.
[0037] With reference to FIGS. 11A and 11B, a fourth version or
configuration in which hose 16 establishes a fluid circuit with the
fluid contents of container 38 is shown. In this configuration
everything is identical to the second version except that stem 52
is integral with coupler 42 instead of separate as is with the
second version. Otherwise, this fourth version and the second
version are identical.
[0038] With reference to FIGS. 12A and 12B, an aspect of the
present invention is shown that includes integration of a valve
body into a pump/motor housing. In this aspect of the invention, a
wand handle 100 includes a hollow interior volume in which a motor
102 is stowed. Integrated with motor 102 is a valve body 104 that
is operational between open and closed positions by means of a
trigger 106 mounted on the underside of the handle 100. The wand
108 is pivotally mounted to handle 100 and in fluid communication
with a fluid outlet 110 that extends from valve body 104. A fluid
inlet 112 is placed in fluid communication with the fluid contents
of container 38 (not shown in these figures) by means of a dip
tube, such as dip tube 59 shown in other Figures. Upon manual
movement of trigger 106, the fluid passageway between inlet 112 and
outlet 110 is opened and upon release of the trigger the passageway
is closed, thereby fluidly sealing container 38. The use of a motor
to drive a pump and provide the pumping necessary to compress and
expel fluid from a container is otherwise well understood in the
art.
* * * * *