Dispensing Device Useable As An Oral Spray

Abstract

A jet-liquid-discharging device for use as an oral spray is provided by a gastight, valved-and-nozzled, refillable container filled with ordinary water into which a gas-producing chemical is to be introduced. A resilient member is provided in the container for multiple purpose of gauging the amount of water used in refilling, for holding the chemical away from the water during refilling, and for providing a gastight seal between the container and its closure.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The utility of a jet-liquid-discharging device for use as an oral spray has been demonstrated by electrically energized appliances provided for such purposes. Widespread use of such devices has been inhibited by high initial cost of such electrical appliances, by some reluctance to use potentially dangerous electrical energy with conductive liquid, and by limitation of such an appliance to a cord and electrical outlet requirement.

One object of this invention is to provide an oral spray device that overcomes the inhibitions to usage associated with prior devices by utilizing a pressurized gas as the propellant force for the liquid spray.

Another object of this invention is to provide an oral spray device that is readily refillable for usage as desired, and which is characterized by simplicity and inexpensiveness of construction and by reliability of operation thereof.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds and the features of novelty which characterize this invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming part of this specification.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a valved oral spray device embodying the inventions of this application;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a commercial product showing the oral spray device and a plurality of interchangeable nozzles for the spray device arranged on a support stand;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the device of FIG. 1 inverted with the container opened to receive therein the gas-generating chemical tablet;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged vertical axial cross-sectional view taken substantially through line 4-4 of FIG. 1 and illustrating the device immediately after the chemical filling shown in FIG. 3 and after closure of the container but before the chemical tablet has dissolved in the water;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary cross section view showing the control valve depressed from the closed position of FIG. 4 to permit of discharge jet liquid past the control valve; and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view, with portions broken away, of the resilient sleeve portion of the control valve for the oral spray device of FIGS. 4 and 5.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to the drawings, the oral spray device of this invention is generally indicated at 10 in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 illustrates how the spray device is to be packaged and is intended for use with interchangeable spray nozzles, so that if different members of a family wish to use the same spray device, they may each select their personal color-coded spray nozzle for attachment to the spray device. In FIG. 2, the oral spray device 10 is shown positioned in a large recess of a molded base member B, and four separate nozzle members, which may have different colored adapter portions, are shown positioned respectively in an upright attitude in smaller recesses also provided in the base member B.

Referring now to the spray device itself, the device includes a container 12 shaped to be easily held in the hand, and includes a cylindrical body 14, preferably of molded construction, with an open bottom 16 that terminates at a circular edge 17. A closure member, or cap, 18 is provided for the open bottom 16. At the upper end of the body 14 there are provided a control, generally indicated at 20, and a laterally extending hollow spout member 22. As best seen in FIG. 4, a nozzle member is frictionally connected to the bore of spout 22 by means of an adapter 24 which provides a tapered mounting stud 24a extending into spout 22 and which provides an oppositely extending, tapered, mounting sleeve 24c into which is frictionally fitted the stud of a tubular spray tip 26. Preferably the spray tip 26 is formed of clear plastic.

With regard to the lower end of the container 12, as best seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, there is provided a combination support and seal member 28 which is exposed when the closure member 18 has been removed. The support-seal member 28 is in the form of a relatively shallow basket having a lower wall 30 composed of a central portion 30a and six radially extending spokes 30b between which are defined apertures 30c. The outer ends of the spokes 30b merge with one edge of an annular, or cylindrical, wall 32 that engages the inner cylindrical wall of container 14 and which provides, at the opposite edge thereof, an outwardly extending annular sealing flange 34. When the device is inverted as shown in FIG. 3, the shallow basket serves as the support for a tablet of an efferescent chemical, T, that is to be dissolved in the water contained in the container so as to generate a gas. When the gas is being generated, as illustrated by the bubbles in FIG. 4, the gas passes upwardly through the apertures 30c, and the generation of gas serves to pressurize the liquid in the container. The tablet is merely a cake of a compressed solid that easily dissolves in water and produces a pressurizing gas.

The shallow cup-shaped member 28 also serves as a seal for the container. The member 28 is formed of a resilient sealing material. The terminal, or lower, edge of the container body 14 is provided with a sharpened sealing rib 17a, and the exterior wall of the container is threaded to cooperate with threads on closure 18. The closure 18 has formed on the inner wall thereof a pair of spaced sharpened sealing ribs 36 which are located to be concentric with but radially offset from the ridge 17 on the container body. When the closure 18 is tightened up, the flange 34 of cup-shaped body 28 is sealingly compressed between the opposing adjacent ribs on the container and on the closure member so as to effect a gastight seal which maintains the pressurized liquid within the container.

Referring back to the container 12, the body 14 has molded therein a downwardly extending annular flange 42. A lateral bore, or opening, 44 is provided in flange 42 which communicates with the bore of spout 22, so that pressurized liquid from within the container may be discharged through spout 22 and through adapter 24 and spray tip 26. The top of the container body 14 is also provided with a central aperture 46 which is coaxial of the annular flange 42. An annular groove 48 is provided in the inner walls of the top of container 14 adjacent the inner periphery of the sleeve 42.

A valve and dip-tube assemblage, generally indicated at 50, is provided within the container. The valve and dip-tube assemblage is composed of seven members, that comprise, generally, a cup-shaped plunger gasket 52 that is made of rubber or the like, an annular plunger-seal member 54, a plunger 56, a valve cone 58, a cap and dip-tube support 60, a spring 62, and a dip-tube 64.

With regard to the details of the individual members of the valve and dip-tube assemblage, the cup-shaped plunger gasket 52 is preferably formed of rubber and provides a top cap section 52a and a sleeve 52b which extend through the aperture 46 in the housing in close fitting relationship thereto, and an outwardly extending flange 52c which is adapted to sealingly engage the underside of the top wall of the housing, and a rib 52d that sealingly seats within the annular groove 48.

The plunger-seal member 54 is best illustrated in perspective in FIG. 6 with portions thereof broken away. The plunger-seal provides: a groove 54a, for fittingly receiving therein the lower extended end of the annular flange 42; an 92 outer sleeve 54b which seals against the outerside of annular flange 42; a lower sleeve 54c which serves to seal against the inner wall of a cap-and-dip-tube support 60; an inner cylindrical sleeve 54d sealingly extending along the inner wall of flange 42 and which merges into a frustoconical seal portion 54e that extends upwardly and inwardly relative to the inner surface of flange 42. The frustoconical seal portion 54e merges with a reduced tube portion 54f that carries outwardly extending, reinforcing and centering ribs 54g. The upper edge of tube portion 54f and of outer ribs 54g engage and hold in position the underside of the flange 52c of the plunger gasket. Ribs 54g maintain a space that communicates with opening 44. The upper-half-portion of the frustoconical seal portion 54e and/or the lower portion of reduced tube 54f are provided with lateral apertures 54h therein through which pressurized fluid moves when the valve plunger 56 is depressed.

The plunger 56 has a button or head portion 56a which snugly fits into the cup-shaped portions 52a and 52b of plunger gasket 52. The head 56a is of a dimension to be easily slid from the position of FIG. 4 to the position of FIG. 5 when the plunger head is pressed downwardly. Below the head 56a there is a reduced stem 56b so that there is provided an upper annular shoulder 56c that faces downwardly. At the lower end of stem 56b there is an annular lower shoulder 56d that faces upwardly. Below the surface 56d there are outwardly extending radial ribs 56e of a large diameter, that are greater than the diameter of shoulder 56d. Below the plurality of radial ribs 56e, there are smaller radial ribs 56f that together serve as a boss for centering the upper end at the spring 62. The valve cone 58 is a frustoconical rubber member that is seated between the annular shoulders 56c and 56d on the plunger in surrounding relationship with the reduced stem 56b. The axial length of the valve cone and its radial dimensions are such that when in the position of FIG. 4, a lower conical portion of cone 58 sealingly engages with the lower frustoconical unapertured wall portion 54e on the plunger seal. When the valve member or plunger is depressed to the position of FIG. 5, then the seal between the valve cone 58 and the plunger seal 54 is broken, and there is a passageway defined through which pressurized liquid may pass for movement through apertures 54h, as illustrated in FIG. 5. The large radial ribs 54e extend to points closely adjacent the inner wall of inner sleeve 54d, thereby preserving a flow space between the plunger and the wall 54d.

The cap-and-dip-tube support 60 has a bottom wall 60a which merges with a cylindrical upright wall 60b that fits around and sealingly engages the lower sleeve 54c of plunger-seal 54. The upper edge of cylindrical wall 60b is glued to the plunger-seal 54 and the plunger-seal 54 itself is glued to the outer wall of annular flange 42 so that the cap-and-dip-tube support 60 is positioned in substantially fixedly spaced relation to the annular flange 42. The lower wall 60a of the cap 60 has a central bore 60c that is surrounded by an upstanding stud, 60d, which serves as a guide or centering boss for the lower end of the spring 62. There are provided a series of radial ribs 60e on the underside of wall 60a for purposes of rigidification.

The spring 62 is positioned between the underside of the large radial ribs 56e, and the upper side of cap wall 60c. The ribs 56f and the stud 60d serve as centering devices for the ends of the spring. The spring 62 normally biases the plunger 56 to its uppermost sealing position as shown in FIG. 4, and compresses when the plunger 56 is depressed as shown in FIG. 5.

The dip tube 64 has an upper end 64a that is press-fit into the recess 60c. The lower end of dip tube has a beveled edge 64b which ensures entry of liquid into tube 64 under pressure for discharge from the spray device.

The operation of the device will be readily understood from the foregoing description. To charge the container, or when the supply of pressurized water in the container is depleted, the closure 18 is removed, and the container 14 is inverted. The container 14 is then filled with water up to the lower edge of the basket 28 that appears when held in the position shown in FIG. 3. This provides a space above the basket into which a formed tablet, T, of gas-generating chemical may be entered and supported on the basket. The closure 18 is then tightly screwed onto the bottom of the container, and the container is turned into its upright position. The water then dissolves the chemical, thereby generating gas which fills a small upper portion of the container as illustrated by the space 68. Thereafter, by depressing the plunger or control 20, a stream of pressurized water is expelled from the spray tip 26 of the device. When the pressurized water is exhausted the container may be refilled as previously described.

While there has been shown and described a particular embodiment of this invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the invention and, therefore, it is intended in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a jet-liquid-discharging device that includes a refillable container means for holding therein a liquid under pressure, nozzle means through which a jet of liquid is to be forced under pressure, valve means for selectively controlling discharge from said nozzle means, and the container means providing a selectively closeable opening through which the container may be substantially filled with an unpressurized liquid but leaving a relatively small unfilled space for introduction of a gas-generating material into the container, the improvement comprising, in combination: insert means on the container at the closeable opening providing an apertured support substantially at the level of liquid when the container is substantially filled, with said relatively small space above the support adapted to receive a liquid-soluble, gas-generating material shaped to be supported on said apertured support, a closure member providing a gastight seal for the container, and said insert means being a unitary resilient member having a shallow cup-shape with an outwardly turned flange that serves both to support the insert means upon the container and as a gastight gasket between the container and the closure member.

2. A device as in claim 1 wherein the nozzle means includes a tubular element integral with the container, said tubular element being shaped to provide an annular attachment boss and an elongated tubular element with a reduced sleeve part frictionally interfitting with the annular attachment boss.

3. A device as in claim 1 wherein the valve means includes a valve element having a frustoconical body surrounded by a sleevelike seat, at least one of said body and seat being resilient, the large area end of the frustoconical body being exposed to the pressurized liquid to seat with the pressure, an elongated stem extending from the small area end of the frustoconical body for projecting through a control aperture in the wall of the container, and a cup-shaped resilient seal carried by said container in said control aperture and receiving the said portion of the stem projecting through the control aperture.

4. A device as in claim 1 wherein the container is a generally upright cylinder with the nozzle means extending laterally from adjacent the upper end of the container and the valve means including a control element adjacent the top of the container; the selectively closeable opening being at the opposite end of the cylinder, and the closure for the container being the bottom wall of the closed container.

5. A device as in claim 3 wherein the valve means includes an elongated dip tube that is resiliently mounted at its connection to the valve means and is of a length to contact the support portion of the insert means.