U.S. patent number 3,650,473 [Application Number 05/019,401] was granted by the patent office on 1972-03-21 for liquid dispensing apparatus.
This patent grant is currently assigned to The AFA Corporation of Florida. Invention is credited to Carl E. Malone.
United States Patent |
3,650,473 |
Malone |
March 21, 1972 |
LIQUID DISPENSING APPARATUS
Abstract
A combined closure and liquid pumping device for a container
having a cap adapted to screw onto a threaded spout of the
container. The closure also includes a pump mechanism having a
liquid ejection nozzle orifice connected by a liquid conduit to an
inlet within the container. The pump has inlet and outlet check
valves in the conduit and a pump chamber connected to the conduit
between the valves. The outlet valve is spaced from the orifice and
is lightly biased to closed position thus to define an air chamber
between the outlet valve and the orifice. An openable seal blocks
communication between the orifice and the exterior of the closure
for disabling liquid pumping operation of the pump and also serves
as a static seal to prevent leakage from the container via the
liquid conduit.
Inventors: |
Malone; Carl E. (Fort
Lauderdale, FL) |
Assignee: |
The AFA Corporation of Florida
(Miami Lakes, FL)
|
Family
ID: |
21793010 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/019,401 |
Filed: |
March 13, 1970 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
239/333; 220/304;
222/383.1; 222/541.2 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B05B
11/0032 (20130101); B05B 11/3011 (20130101); B05B
11/305 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B05B
11/00 (20060101); B05b 011/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;239/309,331,333,337,330
;222/541,545,562,383 ;220/38.5 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Wood, Jr.; M. Henson
Assistant Examiner: Mar; Michael Y.
Claims
I claim:
1. In a device for dispensing liquids from a container wherein said
device comprises a manually operable pump mechanism secured to the
container and including a pump chamber, an inlet conduit connecting
said pump chamber with a liquid reservoir in the container, an
inlet check valve in said inlet conduit between said pump chamber
and said reservoir, a nozzle having a dispensing orifice, an outlet
conduit connecting said pump chamber with said orifice and an
outlet check valve in said outlet conduit between said pump chamber
and said orifice, the improvement wherein said device has disabling
seal means operably connected to said nozzle thereof and blocking
air and liquid communication of said pump chamber via said outlet
check valve and said nozzle orifice with the exterior of said
device in a closed condition of said seal means, said seal means
being sufficiently airtight to withstand air pumping pressures
developable by actuation of said pump mechanism and being
sufficiently liquidtight to withstand static liquid pressures
developed by inversion of said device with said container full of
liquid in said closed condition of said seal means, at least a
portion of said seal means being openable to expose said pump
chamber via said outlet check valve and said nozzle orifice to the
exterior of the device to enable liquid to be pumped by actuation
of said pump mechanism and dispensed via said outlet check valve
and said nozzle orifice.
2. The device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said nozzle comprises
a threaded spout and wherein said seal means includes a cap
threadably secured to said nozzle for movement axially thereof and
having an opening therein registering with said orifice and a seal
member held by said cap in the closed sealing condition thereof by
threading said cap axially inwardly on said spout to clamp said
seal member in liquid and airtight engagement with a sealing
surface associated with said nozzle.
3. The device as set forth in claim 2 wherein said seal member has
a hollow nose portion extending exteriorly of said nozzle, said
nose portion being made at least in part of severable material in a
zone accessible from the exterior of said device whereby said nose
portion may be at least partially severed from the remainder of
said seal member to thereby expose said nozzle orifice to the
exterior atmosphere and thus enable liquid ejecting operation of
said pump mechanism.
4. The device as set forth in claim 3 wherein said seal member
comprises a hat-shaped member having a brim clamped between said
nozzle and cap in liquid and airtight sealed relation therewith,
said nose portion of said seal member comprising the dome of said
hat-shaped member and protruding through said cap opening coaxially
with said nozzle orifice.
5. In a device for dispensing liquids from a container wherein said
device comprises a manually operable pump mechanism secured to the
container and including a pump chamber, an inlet conduit connecting
said pump chamber with a liquid reservoir in the container, an
inlet check valve in said inlet conduit between said pump chamber
and said reservoir, a nozzle having a dispensing orifice, an outlet
conduit connecting said pump chamber with said orifice and an
outlet check valve in said outlet conduit between said pump chamber
and said orifice, the improvement wherein said device has a
disabling seal attached to the nozzle thereof and blocking air and
liquid communication of said nozzle orifice with the exterior of
said device, said seal being sufficiently airtight to withstand air
pumping pressures developable by actuation of said pump mechanism
and being sufficiently liquid tight to withstand static liquid
pressures developed by inversion of said device with said container
full of liquid, at least a portion of said seal being openable to
expose said nozzle orifice to the exterior of the device to enable
liquid to be pumped by actuation of said pump mechanism and
dispensed via said nozzle orifice, and a cap secured to said nozzle
and having an opening therein registering with said orifice, said
seal being held between said orifice and said cap in the closed,
orifice sealing condition thereof, said seal having a hollow nose
portion extending exteriorly of said nozzle, said nose portion
being made at least in part of severable material in a zone
accessible from the exterior of said device whereby said nose
portion may be at least partially severed from the remainder of
said seal to thereby expose said nozzle orifice to the exterior
atmosphere and thus enable liquid ejecting operation of said pump
mechanism, said seal comprising a hat-shaped member having a brim
clamped between said nozzle and cap in liquid and airtight sealed
relation therewith, said nose portion of said seal comprising the
dome of said hat-shaped member and protruding through said cap
opening coaxially with said nozzle orifice, said cap being
threadably secured to said nozzle for movement axially of said
orifice, said seal comprising a one-piece member made of severable
material in a portion of said dome flush with an outer exposed
surface of said cap, said dome portion having an inside diameter
flush with said outer surface of said cap larger then the liquid
spray pattern ejectable via said orifice in response to actuation
of said pump mechanism whereby said spray pattern is unobstructed
by the portion of said cap remaining after removing the exterior
end of said dome by severing said nose portion along a cut line
adjacent said outer surface of said cap.
6. In a device for dispensing liquids from a container wherein said
device comprises a manually operable pump mechanism secured to the
container and including a pump chamber, an inlet conduit connecting
said pump chamber with a liquid reservoir in the container, an
inlet check valve in said inlet conduit between said pump chamber
and said reservoir, a nozzle having a dispensing orifice, an outlet
conduit connecting said pump chamber with said orifice and an
outlet check valve in said outlet conduit between said pump chamber
and said orifice, the improvement wherein said device has a
disabling seal attached to the nozzle thereof and blocking air and
liquid communication of said nozzle orifice with the exterior of
said device, said seal being sufficiently airtight to withstand air
pumping pressures developable by actuation of said pump mechanism
and being sufficiently liquidtight to withstand static liquid
pressures developed by inversion of said device with said container
full of liquid, at least a portion of said seal being openable to
expose said nozzle orifice to the exterior of the device to enable
liquid to be pumped by actuation of said pump mechanism and
dispensed via said nozzle orifice, and a cap secured to said nozzle
and having an opening therein registering with said orifice, said
seal being held between said orifice and said cap in the closed,
orifice sealing condition thereof, said cap and said seal being
integrally joined by a flexible hinge portion, said seal being
pivotable on said hinge from a closed position wherein said seal
engages said cap to an open position wherein said seal is free of
the spray pattern zone of said orifice.
7. The device as set forth in claim 6 wherein said seal has a
gripping portion having a retaining fit engagement with said cap
and an orifice blocking portion in sealing engagement with the
outer end of said nozzle orifice.
8. The device as set forth in claim 7 wherein said cap has an
annular flange extending around said opening in said cap and said
seal has an annular flange concentric with said cap flange, said
flanges having a rib and a mating groove providing said retaining
fit engagement when said flanges are axially overlapped.
9. The device as set forth in claim 8 wherein said cap flange
comprises a radially inwardly directed flange, said seal flange
extending axially inwardly therefrom into nested engagement with
said cap flange and encircling said orifice blocking portion of
said seal.
10. The device as set forth in claim 6 wherein said seal has a tab
affixed to said cap opposite said hinge portion in the closed
position of said seal, said tab being severable to permit said seal
to be pivoted from said closed to said open position.
11. The device as set forth in claim 6 wherein said cap has an
insert mounted therein for movement therewith and defining said
orifice, said nozzle having a spinner element abuttable with said
insert, and wherein said cap is rotatably mounted on said head,
said cap and nozzle having interengaging slot and pin means for
causing axial movement of said cap on said nozzle in response to
rotation of said cap relative to said nozzle to thereby adjust the
position of said insert relative to said spinner element to adjust
the liquid ejection pattern of said device.
12. A combined closure and liquid pumping device for a container
comprising a container cap for the container adapted to have a
screw-on sealing connection with a threaded spout of the container,
a pump mechanism mounted on said screw-on container cap and having
a liquid ejection nozzle with an orifice therein and a liquid
conduit extending from an inlet within the container to said nozzle
orifice, said pump further having inlet and outlet check valves in
said conduit and a pump chamber communicating with said conduit
between said valves, said pump chamber comprising a cylinder open
at its outer end to exterior atmosphere and closed at its inner end
except for communication with said conduit between said valves,
said pump having a movable piston reciprocable in said cylinder and
defining therewith said pump chamber, said piston having a
liquidtight sliding sealing engagement with said cylinder but
having an air leakage engagement with said cylinder operable to
seal air only up to a slight air pressure differential between said
open end of said cylinder and said pump chamber, said outlet valve
being spaced from said orifice and being biased to closed position
by movement of said piston on its suction stroke, and seal means
operable in a closed condition to block communication between said
chamber and the exterior of said closure via said outlet valve for
disabling liquid pumping operation of said pump and serving as a
static seal to prevent leakage of liquid from the container via
said liquid conduit, said seal means being openable to expose said
pump chamber via said outlet check valve and said nozzle orifice to
the exterior of the device to enable liquid to be pumped by
actuation of said pump mechanism and dispensed via said outlet
check valve and said nozzle orifice.
13. The device as set forth in claim 12 wherein said nozzle has a
nozzle cap secured thereto and said seal means comprises a
one-piece member having a dome protruding through an opening in
said nozzle cap coaxially with said nozzle orifice, said member
being made of severable material in a portion of said dome flush
with an outer exposed surface of said nozzle cap, said dome portion
having an inside diameter flush with said outer surface of said
nozzle cap larger than the liquid spray pattern ejectable via said
orifice in response to actuation of said pump mechanism whereby
said spray pattern is unobstructed by the portion of said nozzle
cap remaining after removing the exterior end of said dome by
severing said nose portion along a cut line adjacent said outer
surface of said nozzle cap.
14. The device as set forth in claim 12 wherein said nozzle and
said seal means are integrally joined by a flexible hinge portion,
said seal means being pivotable on said hinge from a closed
position wherein said seal means engages said nozzle to an open
position wherein said seal means is free of the spray pattern zone
of said orifice.
15. The device as set forth in claim 12 wherein said liquid conduit
includes a dip tube extending coaxially from said cap and adapted
to project vertically downwardly therefrom into the container to a
point near the bottom of the container when said closure is
installed on the container, said dip tube having an inlet at the
lower end thereof.
Description
This invention relates to a liquid dispensing apparatus and more
particularly to means for sealing and disabling a liquid dispensing
pump of the type which mounts on a container to thereby provide a
shippable closure for the container.
There are several types of inexpensive liquid dispensers presently
on the market which incorporate a manually operable reciprocating
pump mechanism as part of a screw-on closure for a container so
that the dispenser may be removed from the container for refilling
the container. Such dispensers may have a trigger member, plunger
or other protruding element which is intended to be moved manually
to operate a pump piston in the dispenser, usually against the
force of a return spring, so that liquid may be pumped from the
container and dispensed through the liquid ejection nozzle or
outlet of the device. One such spray dispensing device is disclosed
in U.S. Pat. No. 3,061,202.
Although such dispensers normally employ inlet and outlet check
valves associated with the pump mechanism which may be lightly
spring biased or gravity biased to a seated position, such valves
are not intended as static seals to prevent gravity flow of liquid
through the dispenser unit in the event that the container should
be inverted. Hence such dispensers normally are not capable of
serving as a shippable closure; i.e., capable of sealing the
container against leakage of its contents during shipment and/or
storage of the dispenser prior to purchase by the ultimate
consumer. Hence a separate screw-on cap or other closure must be
secured to the container if it is to be shipped full of liquid, and
the dispenser included in the package as a separate device
disconnected from the container.
Moreover, the existence of an external manually operable element
invites tampering with the dispenser so that, either inadvertently
or maliciously, the same may be actuated so as to partially or
fully pump liquid before the unit has been sold to the customer.
This has necessitated mechanical locking means for the operating
element or other additional protective packaging enclosures in
order to render such dispensers tamperproof.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a
liquid dispensing device of the type having a self-contained
pumping mechanism which is removably mountable on the spout of a
container and which incorporates an inexpensive leakproof and
tamperproof seal which is factory installed to both disable the
pump mechanism with respect to its ability to pump a liquid and to
prevent leakage of liquid from the container so that the liquid
dispensing device can serve as a shippable closure for a liquid
filled container.
Another object is to provide a combination shippable closure and
liquid dispenser of the above character wherein the seal is clearly
visible from the exterior of the unit and which, if the same has
been broken or opened, such condition is readily ascertainable by
visual inspection when viewing the unit from above, as when it is
packed in a shipping carton with the dispenser mounted on the upper
end of an upright container.
A further object is to provide a closure-dispenser of the above
character wherein the seal is readily opened by the ultimate
consumer and merely opening the seal enables operation of the
liquid pumping mechanism of the dispenser and wherein the dispenser
is readily resealable and thereby disabled for storage.
Still another object is to provide a closure-dispenser of the above
character wherein the seal may be made of plastic material by mass
production injection molding techniques at a minimum of cost.
Other objects as well as features and advantages of the present
invention will become apparent from the following detailed
description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings
wherein:
FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a trigger operated liquid
dispensing device converted to a shippable closure by incorporation
of one embodiment of a seal in accordance with the present
invention, the unit being shown in FIG. 1 with a portion of the
seal cut open to enable liquid to be sprayed or jetted from the
container on which the dispenser is mounted.
FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the device of FIG. 1 with the
container shown in fragmentary elevation and in broken lines.
FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 3--3 of FIG.
2 but on an enlarged scale, and with the seal shown in closed
condition prior to the nose thereof being cutaway.
FIG. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the nozzle and
seal area of FIG. 3 shown on a scale enlarged thereover and
illustrating the manner in which the seal is opened.
FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of the structure shown in FIG. 4
prior to opening of the seal.
FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of a modified form of a seal in
accordance with the present invention with the seal shown in closed
condition.
FIG. 7 is a vertical sectional view of the modified seal of FIG. 6
also showing the seal in closed condition.
FIG. 8 is a vertical sectional view similar to that of FIG. 7
showing the seal thereof in open condition.
FIG. 9 is a front elevational view of a third embodiment of a seal
in accordance with the present invention with the seal shown in
closed condition.
FIG. 10 is a vertical sectional view of the seal of FIG. 9 shown in
closed condition.
FIG. 11 is a vertical sectional view similar to that of FIG. 10
showing the seal thereof in opened condition.
FIG. 12 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 12--12 of
FIG. 11 .
Referring in detail to the accompanying drawings, FIGS. 1, 2 and 3
illustrate by way of example a shippable closure-dispenser of the
invention applied to a trigger operated liquid dispensing device of
the type shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,061,202, the disclosure of said
patent being incorporated herein by reference. This well known and
commercially successful manually operable liquid spraying or
jetting device may be equipped with any one of the three
embodiments of a seal disclosed hereinafter to thereby convert the
dispenser to a leakproof and tamperproof shippable closure in
accordance with the present invention.
Briefly, the dispenser or trigger sprayer 10 has a bottle cap 16
adapted to screw onto the threaded spout 100 of a liquid container
102 (FIGS. 1 and 2) to thereby mount the dispenser for operation
while attached to the container. Preferably, cap 16 has the usual
annular sealing washer or gasket 104 which provides a liquidtight
seal with the upper end of surface spout 100. Dispenser 10 has a
dip tube 22 adapted to extend downwardly into container 102 so that
its open lower end is positioned near the bottom of the
container.
Assume first that dispenser 10 is not equipped with a seal
structure 122, 200 or 300 of the present invention as described
hereinafter, or that such seals are present but are in their open
condition as described hereinafter, that the passages 34, 35 and
pump chamber 32 are empty of liquid and filled only with air, and
that container 102 is filled with liquid to a level above the lower
end of tube 22. Under such conditions, if trigger 11 is manually
squeezed to rapidly force the two-piece piston 12 inwardly of pump
chamber 32, the air compressed by the piston will cause inlet check
valve 17 to seat and outlet check valve 29 to open to thereby expel
a quantity of pressurized air to atmosphere via nozzle orifice 25.
If trigger 11 is then released, spring 14 will bias piston 12 back
to the outward position thereof shown in FIG. 3, thereby creating a
subatmospheric pressure in chamber 32. This air pumping action is
repeated for several strokes of the trigger until the resulting
evacuation of air from chamber 32 and passages 35 and 34 causes
liquid to be drawn up into chamber 32 to thereby prime the pump
with liquid. Further actuation of the trigger to reciprocate piston
12 will then cause liquid to be pumped from container 102 and
dispensed in spray or jet form from orifice 25.
Although sprayer 10 is thus self-priming, it is to be understood
that piston 12, due to the need of keeping manufacturing costs as
low as possible, merely has a liquidtight sliding seal engagement
with the cylinder bore of chamber 32 and is not fully airtight.
Rather the piston only has sufficient sealing ability with respect
to air to pick up a small head of liquid for the aforementioned
self-priming purpose. This inability of piston 12 to pump air above
a very low pressure and the resulting leakage of air to the open
outer end of the piston bore when the air pressure in chamber 32 is
raised slightly above atmospheric pressure seemingly is a
deficiency which is utilized to advantage in conjunction with the
disabling seal of the present invention as described in more detail
hereinafter.
Sprayer 10 as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,061,202, i.e., without
the seal 122, 200 or 300 of the present invention, cannot be used
as a closure for container 102 for shipping purposes unless the
container is empty of liquid. This is because inlet check valve 17
is lightly biased by spring 19 to open position, and outlet check
valve 29 is also only lightly biased by spring 30 to closed
position. Hence if container 102 is inverted when full of liquid,
any liquid contained in dip tube 22 will run down hill past valve
17, through passage 34, chamber 32 and passage 35 to valve 29. The
stray liquid can then leak around valve 29 into the nozzle passages
and then run out of unit 10 through orifice 25. This same condition
also exists in a modification of sprayer 10 wherein a metal check
ball is substituted for valve 17 and the force of gravity acting on
the ball when sprayer 10 is upright is relied upon to lightly bias
the ball to closed position.
Consequently, the prior trigger sprayer 10 when sold with a
packaged liquid has had to be packaged separately from the
container and the container sealed by a separate closure, such as a
conventional screw cap. This, of course, entails additional cost
both for the extra closure cap and the additional packaging
procedure involved, as well as the cost involved in the extra bulk
required to accommodate the detached or separate sprayer 10 in the
shipping carton. However, in accordance with a principal feature of
the present invention, the liquid dispensing unit 10 is
inexpensively converted to a shippable closure by merely adding one
simple element thereto; namely, a seal 122, 200 or 300 which closes
or covers the nozzle orifice 25, preferably from the exterior side
of the orifice, to thereby close liquid and air communication
between the orifice and outside atmosphere.
FIGS. 1-5 illustrate one embodiment of a disabling seal 122 in
accordance with the present invention particularly adapted for use
with a so-called nonadjustable orifice sprayer 10 of the type
presently manufactured by The AFA Corporation of Florida of Miami
Lakes, Florida, and sold under the trademark "AFA." As best seen in
FIG. 4, sprayer 10 has a nonadjustable nozzle which includes the
externally threaded spout 31, a nose bushing 26 press fit in spout
31 and a misting element 28 mounted for limited axial movement in
bushing 26. The forward end of element 28 is biased into abutment
with an end wall 108 of bushing 26 by spring 30 which also lightly
biases valve 29 to closed position. The nozzle spray orifice 25 is
formed in an axially thickened conical portion 110 of wall 108.
Element 26 has longitudinal exterior ribs (not shown) to provide a
clearance space 45 for feeding liquid from the nozzle chamber 112
to the forward end of the bore 114 of bushing 26, from which the
liquid is conducted to a whirling chamber 116 by tangentially
directed slots 118 in the marginal rib at the forward end of
element 28 in a manner similar to that disclosed in the
aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 3,061,202.
Since bushing 26 is press fitted in spout 31, it is held immovable
and therefore is set to produce only one spray pattern, and hence
this nozzle cannot provide the adjustment disclosed in the
aforementioned patent wherein if cap 23 is screwed outwardly on
spout 31 the liquid ejection pattern is gradually converted from a
spray to a solid stream. In this existing nonadjustable nozzle
version of sprayer 10, cap 23 merely serves as a retainer for
bushing 26, the inner face of the internal end flange 120 of cap 23
normally abutting the exterior end face of bushing 26. However,
these same existing parts of the commercial nonadjustable sprayer
described above may be used in cooperation with a disabling seal
122 as best seen in FIGS. 3 and 4 to thereby convert the same to a
sprayable closure.
Seal 122 comprises a hat-shaped member, preferably injection molded
from plastic material such as polypropylene or polyethylene, having
a dome-shaped nose portion 124 and a brim portion 126 in the form
of a flat annular radially extending external flange, seal 122
preferably being made to scale from FIG. 4. Brim 126 is clamped
against the outer face of bushing 26 by flange 120 of cap 23, the
cap being screwed down sufficiently tight to provide air and liquid
sealing engagement between the interengaged surfaces of brim 126
and bushing 26 as well as between brim 126 and flange 120. The
outside diameter of brim 126 is slightly smaller than the internal
bore of cap 23, and the outside diameter of nose portion 124 at its
junction with brim 126 is such that the nose portion has a light
press fit through the cylindrical opening 128 normally provided in
cap 23. Hence seal 122 may be readily preassembled to cap 23 prior
to screwing cap 23 onto spout 31 merely by dropping seal 122 nose
first into the hollow interior of the cap and pushing the nose of
the seal through opening 128 until brim 126 abuts flange 120. The
seal and cap subassembly thus is retained as a unit for easy
handling during manufacture of sprayer 10 and can be readily
assembled to the sprayer by screwing cap 23 on spout 31. This is
done with the sprayer "dry," i.e., after the sprayer has been
tested by pumping liquid through the same and then at least
partially drained of liquid so that passages 35 and 34 as well as
pump chamber 32 of sprayer 10 are emptied of liquid and become air
filled, which is preferably the final test procedure followed
during manufacture of the sprayer. Thus, it will be understood that
when cap 23 with seal 122 therein is assembled to sprayer 10, the
nozzle chamber 112 and passages 45 between valve 29 and the
internal surface of nose 124 are also filled with air.
With sprayer 10 thus equipped with seal 122 as described above, a
dispenser-closure unit 10-122 is provided which may be screwed onto
container 102 with the container partially or completely full of
liquid, and this package can then be shipped without fear of the
liquid contents of the container leaking out of the unit even
though the same may be inverted and/or the sprayer tampered with;
i.e., trigger 11 squeezed to reciprocate piston 12.
In the case of inversion of the container, liquid cannot leak from
spout 100 externally of sprayer 10 due to the usual sealing gasket
104 held clamped against the upper end of spout 100 by cap 16 being
screwed securely on the spout. Likewise, any liquid which enters
the pumping passages 34, 35 and chamber 32 of the sprayer will not
leak past piston 12, nor past valve 29 because of the trapped air
behind it. However, should such liquid enter chamber 112, it cannot
escape from the nozzle structure because of the positive static
liquid and air seal provided by seal 122.
In the event that someone should attempt to operate the sealed
sprayer by squeezing trigger 11, or should trigger 11 be otherwise
actuated while the sprayer is sealed by seal 122, no liquid leakage
will occur nor will any liquid pumping action result regardless of
the number of times trigger 11 is repetitively squeezed and
released because of the disabling action of seal 122. When piston
12 is forced inwardly of chamber 32 on what would normally be an
air pumping stroke to achieve the self-priming action described
previously, no air can escape via orifice 25 to outside atmosphere.
Thus, squeezing trigger 11 will merely pressurize the air trapped
between valve 17 and seal 122, and the compressible character of
the air in the pump chamber and passages will permit full stroke
actuation of the trigger. When the trigger is released, the
reexpansion of the trapped air will augment spring 14 in producing
outward return movement of the piston to its FIG. 3 position.
If the trigger 11 is repetitively squeezed and released, a slight
air pressure buildup will occur in chamber 112, but the small mass
of air thus removed from chamber 22 and the communicating passages
35 and 34 will be insufficient even when piston 12 moves to its
outermost position shown in FIG. 3 to lower the pressure in this
space to a value which is sufficient to cause liquid to be lifted
via tube 22 from container 102 up to the pump chamber. In fact,
well before this priming condition could be reached, the back
pressure exerted on piston 12 will exceed the air sealing
capability of the piston with its cylinder bore and therefore a
two-way air leak will develop; first outwardly past piston 12 so
that air will leak from chamber 32 past outside of the piston to
the exterior of the piston bore when the same is being forced into
the bore, and then a reverse leakage of air from outside atmosphere
past piston 12 into bore 32 on the out or suction stroke of the
piston. Thus, it will be seen that seal 122 is effective to disable
the self-priming and liquid pumping capability of the pump
mechanism of sprayer 10, thereby rendering it tamperproof and
obviating the need for any mechanical lockout structure for trigger
11.
Dispenser 10 and the liquid-filled container 102 may be sold as a
sealed unit to a customer or ultimate user since it is a very
simple matter to unseal the unit and put it to use as a liquid
dispenser. This is done by severing the nose portion 124 from the
remaining portion of seal 122, as shown by the solid and broken
line illustrations thereof in FIG. 4. The nose or tip 124 may be
readily cut with a knife along a cut line 132 almost flush with the
outer end face of cap 23. The customer may be instructed in how to
perform this simple unsealing step by attaching a self-adhering
peel-off label 130 (FIG. 1) bearing the legend "Cut off with knife"
associated with a dotted cut line 132 on a picture of the sealed
nozzle on the label. The cut-off tip 124 is discarded and the
dispenser unit now is ready for use. After the pump has self-primed
by actuating trigger 11 through several strokes as described
previously, liquid will be pumped from container 102 and ejected
via orifice 25 in a spray pattern 134 as illustrated in FIG. 4. By
cutting off tip 124 flush with or close to the end face of cap 23,
the severed edge 135 of the portion of seal 122 remaining in cap 23
has a large enough inside diameter so as not to obstruct the spray
pattern. Hence the severed portion of the seal inside the cap can
be left in place without in any way adversely affecting operation
of dispenser 10.
A second embodiment 200 of the dispensing seal of the invention is
shown in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 wherein the spray head structure is
generally the same as that described in conjunction with FIGS. 1-5
inclusive. However, nozzle spout or nose 202 is not threaded but
rather has a smooth cylindrical exterior surface with a
circumferential external locking groove 204 therein spaced slightly
outwardly from the main body 206 of the spray head. Bushing 26
protrudes from the forward end of nose 202 and is press fitted
therein as in the previous embodiment to provide a nonadjustable
spray nozzle. Instead of a screw-on cap 23, a snap-on cap 208 is
provided as an integral part of seal 200. Cap 208 has a skirt 210
with an internal circumferential locking rib 212 which, due to the
flexibility of skirt 210, can be cammed past nose 202 when cap 208
is pushed open end first onto nose 202. Cap 208 is locked in place
when rib 212 reaches groove 204, the resiliency of skirt 210
causing rib 212 to snap into groove 204. Preferably the right-hand
side of rib 212 (as viewed in FIGS. 7 and 8) is inclined relative
to the axis of cap 208 to a greater extent than the left-hand side
of rib 212 to facilitate insertion of the cap into the nozzle but
to make withdrawal more difficult, this arrangement thus providing
a permanent retention of cap 208 on nose 202. When cap 208 thus is
firmly seated on the nose the tight engagement between rib 212 and
nose 202, the abutment of shoulder 214 of the cap with a mating
shoulder 216 of the nose, and the abutment of the inner surface of
the end flange 218 of the cap with the end surface of bushing 26
provide an airtight and liquidtight seal therebetween.
The other principal part of seal 200 comprises a cover 220 best
seen in FIG. 8 which illustrates the open condition of seal 200.
Cover 220 is pivotally connected to cap 208 by a thin flexible
strip 222 preferably formed integrally with cap 208 and cover 220
to serve as a so-called "living hinge," seal 200 preferably being
injection molded in one piece from suitable plastic material such
as polypropylene or polyethylene having the capability of unlimited
repetitive flexure in portion 222. Cover 220 has a skirt 224
adapted to nest with a squeeze fit over the cylindrical snout 226
of cap 208 when cover 220 is swung upwardly from its dependent open
position shown in FIG. 8 to its seal closing position shown in FIG.
7. Cover 220 also has an annular raised rib 228 (FIG. 8) projecting
from the inner surface of the crown 230 of the cover. The outer
periphery 232 of rib 228 has a sliding press fit into the aperture
234 of snout 226 and yieldably deforms to accommodate an internal
holding rib 236 extending around aperture 234. An orifice sealing
nub 238 (FIG. 8) is provided at the center of crown 230 which
projects axially from the inner surface thereof and is adapted to
register with the outer end of orifice 25 to securely plug the same
when cover 220 is swung up to the closed position thereof shown in
FIG. 7.
Preferably cover 220 has a fastening strip 240 joined to the open
end of skirt 224 diametrically opposite hinge 222 which is adapted
to be flexed from the position shown in FIG. 8 to the bent down
position thereof shown in FIG. 7 wherein the free end of strip 240
is secured to cap 208 by any suitable means such as heat staking.
This prevents seal 200 from being opened unless and until strip 240
is severed, as shown in FIG. 8, preferably by cutting the same
through a narrowed portion formed by molding a notch 242 in strip
240, whereupon cap 220 can be pulled outwardly and then released to
fall to the hanging position thereof shown in FIG. 8.
The above-described modified seal 200 thus is effective in the
closed position thereof to serve as a disabling seal for the
dispenser to convert the same to a shippable closure in the manner
of seal 122 described previously. Seal 200 has the additional
advantages of being permanently locked into position and being
resealable by the ultimate user so that the dispenser may be safely
stored between periods of use. Seal 200 may be economically
manufactured in one piece by injection molding techniques and is
assembled easily to the sprayer during manufacture. Sealing cover
220 snaps securely into closed position and is retained reliably by
the internal holding rib 236, thereby achieving a positive and
permanent air and liquidtight seal. The heat staked tip 240 locks
the sealing cover 220 into permanent tamperproof position so that
the consumer must cut the top along the molded notch in order to
unsnap the cover and use the dispenser. The living hinge 222
permits the cover to hang downward out of the way but where it will
not be lost when it is desired to reseal the dispenser.
Referring to FIGS. 9-12 inclusive, a third embodiment 300 of a
disabling seal of the invention is illustrated which is somewhat
similar to seal 200 but adapted for converting into a shippable
closure a trigger sprayer having a commercially available
adjustable nozzle construction similar to that shown in the
aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 3,061,202. Seal 300 thus has a cap 302
with a skirt 304 slidably received on nose 202' of the spray head,
but cap 302 is axially movable along nose 202' to allow for spray
pattern adjustment. The sprayer in this version has an O-ring 27
and an open ended bushing 26' through which the misting element 28
projects so as to abut the inner face of a separate nozzle insert
306 which is press fitted into the aperture 307 in the end flange
308 of snout 310 of cap 302. Insert 306 has the spray orifice 25
extending therethrough instead of the spray orifice being formed in
the end of bushing 26'. Hence when cap 302 is moved axially to the
right to its innermost position as viewed in FIGS. 10 and 11
wherein a shoulder 312 of cap 302 abuts a shoulder 216 of nose
202', element 28 firmly abuts the inner face of insert 306 to
produce a fine, wide angle spray pattern. When cap 302 is moved
axially to the left, insert 306 moves with it and thus away from
element 28 to thereby adjust the nozzle to produce a jet stream
pattern.
To accomplish the aforementioned adjusting movement of cap 302, the
same has a pair of diametrically opposite nubs 314 (FIGS. 11 and
12) projecting internally from the inner wall of skirt 304 to serve
as cam followers in a pair of diametrically opposite cam grooves
316 in nose 202'. The center portion of each groove 316 is angled
relative to the axis of nose 202' to impart the desired axial
travel to cap 302 as the same is rotated on nose 202', and the
opposite ends 318 and 318' of groove 316 extend in a plane
perpendicular to the axis to provide locking positions to hold the
nozzle in either the innermost or outermost (spray or jetting)
positions respectively. Preferably cap 302 as well as cover 322 are
injection molded as one piece from a resilient flexible material,
such as polypropylene or polyethylene, so that cap 302 can be
pressed open end first onto nose 202' and the follower nubs 314
will snap into groove 316 once they register therewith.
Seal 330, like seal 200, has a living hinge portion 320 integrally
connecting a sealing cover 322 to cap 302. Cover 322 has a skirt
portion 324 which fits over snout 310 with a close sliding fit and
has a tab 326 adapted to be heat staked to the skirt of cap 302.
Tab 326 has a notch 328 to facilitate severing the strip by the
customer when he first opens the seal. Cover 322 also has a sealing
nub 330 projecting inwardly from a raised platform 332 formed
centrally of the crown 334 of cover 322. Nub 330 is dimensioned so
as to be squashed flat against the outer face of insert 306, as
shown in FIG. 10, to seal orifice 25 securely when cover 322 is
pushed home to its closed position on cap 302. Seal 300 thus offers
the advantages of seal 200 and in addition permits locking of the
nozzle in either extreme selected spray or jetting position.
It is to be understood that the principles of the present invention
may be applied to other conventional types of container-mounted
liquid dispensing pumps, such as the well-known type sold under the
trademark "WINDEX" wherein a finger-actuated piston projects
upright through the bottle cap of the unit and has a hollow stem
closed near its upper end by an outlet check ball. In such a unit
the plunger-nozzle member is pushed downwardly by finger pressure
against the force of an upwardly acting biasing spring disposed in
the stationary cylinder portion of the closure. The inlet check
ball is located at the lower end of the cylinder above the dip tube
of the unit. Accordingly, by applying an externally located sealing
member in accordance with the present invention to plug the spray
orifice of the upright plunger, an air chamber is formed between
the spray orifice and the outlet check valve which prevents the
self-priming action of the pump. Hence such a liquid dispenser is
effectively disabled even if the piston should be actuated, and the
dispensing mechanism is converted to a reliable shippable closure
which will not leak liquid from the container during shipment or
storage.
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