U.S. patent number 3,794,247 [Application Number 05/308,648] was granted by the patent office on 1974-02-26 for spray fitment for squeeze bottles.
Invention is credited to Douglas F. Corsette.
United States Patent |
3,794,247 |
Corsette |
February 26, 1974 |
SPRAY FITMENT FOR SQUEEZE BOTTLES
Abstract
A spray fitment for squeeze bottles including a generally
cylindrical plug for sealing reception in the neck opening of a
conventional, flexibly resilient squeeze bottle. The plug has an
axial opening therethrough, in which is supported a dispensing
valve housing, between which and the inner wall of said opening is
defined an axial air inlet port controlled by an air inlet valve
carried by the valve housing. Formed through the valve housing are
separate product and air discharge passages opening into a mixing
chamber adjacent to a discharge orifice. There is provided a
flexible resilient spray discharge valve in the form of a diaphragm
which automatically closes the orifice at the conclusion of each
squeeze or discharge stroke to prevent back-flow of air into the
container. When thus closed, the spray discharge valve isolates the
air discharge passage from the product discharge passage, to
thereby prevent backflow of product and thus to maintain the
product passage constantly primed in readiness for ejecting a full
charge of product on each squeeze stroke, while preventing clogging
of the air discharge passage by the product.
Inventors: |
Corsette; Douglas F. (Los
Angeles, CA) |
Family
ID: |
23194829 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/308,648 |
Filed: |
November 22, 1972 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
239/327;
222/211 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B05B
11/043 (20130101); B05B 11/06 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B05B
11/06 (20060101); B05B 11/04 (20060101); B67d
005/58 () |
Field of
Search: |
;239/327,343,344
;222/211,215,190,189 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Knowles; Allen N.
Assistant Examiner: Mar; Michael Y.
Parent Case Text
This invention relates to an improved spray fitment and closure for
squeeze bottles.
More particularly, this invention relates to improvements in spray
fitments of the rapid recovery type, such as are generally
exemplified in the disclosures of the U.S. Pats. of Marchant Nos.
3,519,208 and 3,679,137, and McDonnell Nos. 3,409,182 and
3,474,936.
In such prior spray fitments, provision has been made for the rapid
admission of atmospheric air into the container to permit rapid
reexpansion of the squeeze bottle as it is released after each
squeeze or discharge stroke. In such prior fitments, however, air
from the atmosphere, as well as from the interior of the container
is permitted to enter at the upper end of the product discharge
passage after each squeeze stroke, thus permitting the column of
product therein to drop down to or toward the level of the product
within the container. Thus, a portion of each squeeze stroke or
compression of the squeeze bottle is utilized in merely restoring
the product column to its former level, before any discharge of the
product can occur. Further, such prior devices instead of having
self contained valve means, require special configurations and/or
modification of the squeeze bottles and rely upon such special
features of the bottles as part of the valve means.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
With the foregoing considerations in mind, the present invention
has among its objects to provide a self-contained spray fitment
adapted for use with any conventional commercially available
squeeze bottle and comprising but a minimum of parts. In addition
to providing an air inlet port or passage controlled by a suitable
air inlet check valve, the fitment also includes an automatically
actuated and normally closed diaphragm valve controlling the spray
orifice and automatically actuated in direct response to variations
in pressure of the fluid within the squeeze bottle arising from a
manual squeezing thereof to permit discharge of the product in the
form of a well defined spray and in which the valve automatically
closes at the conclusion of the squeeze stroke to thereafter
maintain the discharge orifice sealed against either discharge of
the product or influx of atmospheric air.
It is a further object to provide such a fitment in which the
discharge valve cooperates with an air outlet valve seat in a
manner to normally isolate the air infusion passage from the
product passage, at the same time that it closes the discharge
orifice, whereby to prevent backflow of air either from said air
infusion channel or from the atmosphere into the upper end of the
product discharge passage, and thus to maintain the product passage
primed full of product in readiness for discharge of a maximum
volume of product on each squeeze stroke, while barring the product
from the air infusion passage to prevent clogging of the
latter.
It is thus an ultimate object of the invention to provide a fitment
for squeeze bottles, in which the fitment incorporates means for
rapid recovery or reexpansion of the squeeze bottle between squeeze
strokes, while maintaining the product passage fully primed between
such strokes to substantially increase the spray emitting capacity
of the fitment.
It is further an important object to form such a fitment of but two
separately formed unitary parts, exclusive of the dip tube.
Further, it is an object to provide alternate exemplifications of
such a spray fitment in which the air inlet valve is capable of
either of two alternative modes of operation, depending on whether
the valve assembly is fixed or resiliently axially displaceable
with respect to its supporting closure plug. In the event the valve
assembly is fixed, resilient flexing of the air inlet valve may be
relied upon for seating and unseating thereof in response to
changes in differential pressure on its opposite sides. However,
where the valve assembly is resiliently supported for axial
displacement, such displacement of the valve assembly in its
entirety may be relied upon primarily for seating and unseating the
air inlet valve in response to differential pressure on opposite
sides of such valve.
Claims
Having thus described my invention, I claim:
1. A spray discharge fitment for fluid tight association with the
outlet opening of a squeeze bottle containing a product to be
dispensed:
said fitment defining a mixing chamber therewithin and separate
product and air discharge passages for establishing communication
between said chamber and the interior of the squeeze bottle to
which the fitment is applied;
said fitment including a resiliently flexible diaphragm having an
outer side thereof exposed to atmospheric pressure and an inner
side thereof exposed to the pressure within said mixing
chamber;
said diaphragm being formed with a discharge orifice therethrough
to establish communication between said mixing chamber and the
atmosphere;
a valve member positioned in said mixing chamber for seating and
unseating in said orifice in response to flexing of the
diaphragm.
said diaphragm normally being biased toward a closed position in
which said valve member is seated in said orifice when the pressure
within said mixing chamber is equal to or below atmospheric
pressure, and being deflected to an open position in which said
member is unseated from the orifice when the pressure within said
mixing chamber exceeds atmospheric pressure.
2. A discharge fitment as defined in claim 1, in which said fitment
includes an outwardly projecting wall encircling said mixing
chamber and having a free outer end edge positioned to sealingly
engage said diaphragm, said air discharge passage being disposed
outside of said wall and communicating with said chamber over said
end edge in the open position of the diaphragm, and being isolated
by said wall from the said chamber in the closed position of the
diaphragm.
3. A discharge fitment as defined in claim 2, in which said mixing
chamber and said wall are of annular shape concentric to said valve
member and said orifice.
4. A discharge fitment as defined in claim 2, in which said mixing
chamber and said wall are of annular configuration concentric to
said valve member and said orifice, and a portion of said air
discharge passage comprises an air chamber encircling said wall so
that in the open position of the diaphragm, air is directed
radially inwardly toward said orifice from all sides, between said
diaphragm and said end edge of the wall.
5. A discharge fitment as defined in claim 2, in which said mixing
chamber includes an inner end wall spaced axially from said
diaphragm, said valve member being affixed to said inner end wall
and projecting outwardly toward said diaphragm, said product
discharge passage including a portion opening through said inner
end wall tangentially to said chamber.
6. A spray discharge fitment for a squeeze bottle; said fitment
comprising an annular plug for fluid tight reception in the neck
opening of a squeeze bottle;
a generally cylindrical valve housing supported coaxially within
said plug to define an annular air inlet port from the atmosphere
to the interior of a squeeze bottle to which said fitment is
applied;
an annular air inlet valve carried by said housing assembly and
means resiliently urging said inlet valve outwardly sealing
engagement with an inwardly directed valve seat on said plug;
means within said valve housing defining an annular spin chamber
adapted for operative communication with the interior of a
container to which the fitment is applied;
there being a resiliently flexible diaphragm forming the outer wall
of said spin chamber and having a discharge orifice therethrough
from the spin chamber to the atmosphere;
a central post being coaxially disposed in said spin chamber and
having a free outer end positioned for sealing reception in said
orifice;
and means resiliently biasing said diaphragm toward a normal closed
position wherein said port is sealingly received in said orifice,
said diaphragm being yieldable in response to pressure within said
spin chamber to open said orifice.
7. A discharge fitment as defined in claim 1, including an
outwardly projecting wall encircling said spin chamber, said wall
having a free edge directed axially toward said diaphragm and
functioning as an annular valve seat positioned for sealing
engagement by said discharge valve in the normal closed position of
the latter; and means defining an air chamber encircling said wall
and communicating with the interior of the squeeze bottle.
8. A spray discharge fitment for a squeeze bottle comprising: an
annular plug for sealing reception in the outlet opening of a
squeeze bottle containing a product to be dispensed; a downwardly
opening hollow cylindrical valve housing supported within said plug
in radially spaced relation thereto to define therewith an annular
air inlet port between the atmosphere and the interior of the
squeeze bottle; said annular plug being formed with an annular
downwardly directed valve seat concentric thereto; a cylindrical
valve core secured within said valve housing and having a portion
projecting downwardly therefrom; an air inlet valve carried by said
portion and projecting radially outwardly therefrom for cooperation
with said valve seat in response to changes in pressure within said
squeeze bottle; an axially flexible diaphragm extending across the
upper end of said valve housing and formed with a central discharge
orifice therethrough; said valve core being spaced axially below
said diaphragm within the housing to define a mixing chamber
between said diaphragm and said valve core; a valve member
projecting upwardly through said mixing chamber from the valve core
in position for sealing reception in said orifice in a normally
downwardly flexed closed position of said diaphragm; said diaphragm
being deflectible upwardly to an open position by super atmospheric
pressure on its lower surface within said mixing chamber; there
being a product passage opening downwardly through said core from
the mixing chamber, and a dip tube constituting a downward
continuation of said passage; said housing and core jointly
defining an air discharge passage separate from the product passage
opening downwardly through said fitment from the mixing
chamber.
9. A spray discharge fitment as defined in claim 8 in which said
core includes an upwardly projecting wall encircling said mixing
chamber; and having a free upper end edge for sealing engagement
with the diaphragm in the closed position of the latter; said air
discharge passage being outside of said wall and thereby isolated
from the mixing chamber in the closed position of the diaphragm;
but communicating with the mixing chamber over the upper edge of
said wall in the open position of the diaphragm in which said
diaphragm is disengaged from the said encircling wall.
10. A spray discharge fitment as defined in claim 9, in which said
mixing chamber and said wall are of annular configuration
concentric to said valve member and said orifice; and a portion of
said air discharge passage comprises an air distribution chamber
encircling said wall so that, in the open position of the
diaphragm, air flows radially inwardly across the mixing chamber
from all sides toward the orifice.
11. A spray discharge fitment as defined in claim 9, in which said
diaphragm includes an integral resiliently flexible annular seal
projecting downwardly from its lower surface concentrically to said
annular wall, for conforming sealing engagement therewith
throughout a limited range of relative axial movement between said
wall and said seal.
12. A spray discharge fitment as defined in claim 9, in which
concentric portions of said diaphragm are in axial registry
respectively with said mixing chamber and with said air
distribution chamber, said diaphragm being formed with an annular
weakened zone between said concentric portions to permit relative
axial flexing of said concentric portions with respect to each
other.
13. A spray discharge fitment as defined in claim 12, in which said
concentric portion of the diaphragm in axial registry with the air
distribution chamber is encircled by and connected to the valve
housing along a weakened zone for facilitating axial flexing of
said last mentioned portion.
Description
Further, objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent
from the following specification in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings, and appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the accompanying drawings:
FIG. 1 is a vertical axial cross section through the preferred
embodiment of spray fitment in accordance with the present
invention.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view of the structure
enclosed within the Circle A of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a view of the integral closure plug and valve body of the
preferred embodiment.
FIG. 4 is a cross section on the same plane as FIG. 1 through the
valve core of the preferred embodiment and
FIG. 5 is a fragmentary detail section taken on line 5--5 of FIG. 4
looking in the direction of the arrows.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring now in detail to the accompanying drawings, the spray
discharge fitment there illustrated includes a suitable closure
element 10 by means of which it is supported in the discharge or
dispensing opening of a container having a resiliently flexible
wall or wall portion which may be alternately squeezed or indented
to expel a portion of its contents and then released. Such a
container is commonly termed a "squeeze bottle."
In the present instance the closure 10 is in the form of an annular
plug or stopper which is shown as having a slightly tapered portion
12 at its lower end to adapt it for insertion and press fitting
within the neck opening of the squeeze bottle. At its upper end
there is provided an encircling flange 14 for engagement with the
upper end of the bottle neck to determine the final position of the
fitment.
Disposed within and through the annular plug is a downwardly
opening cylindrical valve housing 15 which is supported from the
plug by a series of upper and lower spaced webs 16 and 18, the webs
of each series 16 and 18 being circumferentially spaced in the
manner of spokes and preferably staggered with respect to each
other whereby to afford minimum obstruction to the annular inlet
port 20 which extends between the plug and the valve housing to
permit inflow of air from the atmosphere to the interior of the
squeeze bottle on each recovery stroke, or in other words, each
time the squeeze bottle is released and permitted to reexpand to
its normal volume after being squeezed. In order to prevent the
outflow of air through the ports 20, the annular plug 10 is formed
with a downwardly directed valve seat 22 for cooperation with a
flexible inlet valve 25 in the form of a radially outwardly
projecting flange encircling and integral with the downwardly
projecting external lower end of the valve core 26, which is
secured in fluid light manner within the downwardly opening valve
housing 15.
Preferably, the projecting lower end of the core 26 is formed with
an upwardly or reversely turned cuff 27 defining between it and the
main body of the valve core an angular groove for snug reception of
a reduced thickness lower end extremity 28 of the core. The valve
housing 15 and core may be secured in assembled relation by
friction, by cementing or in other conventional manner. In the
embodiment now being described, the supporting webs 16 and 18 which
connect the core to the surrounding plug 10 are substantially rigid
so as to maintain the core and plug against relative axial
displacement. Therefore, the valving movement of the inlet valve 25
consists in axial movement of its outer periphery into and from
seating engagement with the valve seat 22 thereabove. Accordingly,
creation of a super atmospheric pressure within the container or
squeeze bottle as by manual squeezing or deformation will press the
valve 25 firmly against its seat 22, whereas reduction of pressure
within the container below atmospheric incident to reexpansion or
recovery thereof will permit inflow of air through port 20 into the
squeeze bottle.
For the purpose of precisely locating the core 26 within the valve
body to achieve proper positions and relationships between the
various valve components, it is desirable to provide within the
cylindrical bore of the valve housing 15 one or more precisely
located positioning lugs 29, as illustrated in FIG. 3, for abutment
with the upper end wall of the core 26 as the core is inserted
within the housing 15 during assembly of the parts.
Extending across and closing the upper end of the valve housing 15
is a resiliently flexible diaphragm 30 formed with a central
discharge orifice 32 therethrough. It will be noted that the
upwardly presented end wall 33 of the valve core 26 is spaced
axially below the diaphragm and is formed with a centrally
projecting valve member 34 having a rounded or other suitably
shaped free upper end for sealing reception in the discharge
orifice 32 of the diaphragm when the diaphragm is in its normally
relaxed or unstressed position.
In the preferred embodiment, the cylindrical valve core 26, its
upwardly projecting valve member 34, and the discharge port 32
through the diaphragm are all located coaxially with respect to the
cylindrical valve housing 15.
A similarly coaxial annular wall 35, which encircles and is spaced
outwardly from the valve member 34, has its upper end edge adapted
for sealing engagement with the diaphragm, whereby the valve core
and the diaphragm jointly define an annular mixing chamber 36 which
is adapted to communicate with the atmosphere through the orifice
32 when the diaphragm is unseated from the valve member 34, in
response to the creation of a super-atmospheric pressure within the
chamber 36 arising from squeezing of the bottle or from other
causes.
For delivering the dispensed product from the squeeze bottle into
the chamber 36, the valve core 26 is provided with an axial passage
38 therethrough. This passage is preferably downwardly flared at
its lower end 39 for snug reception of a conventional dip tube 40
adapted to extend to a location near the bottom of the squeeze
bottle. At its upper end the passage 38 communicates with the
chamber 36 through one or more inlet ports 42. Preferably the inlet
ports 42 have a spiral component or inclination at their juncture
with the chamber 36 so that the incoming liquid or flowable product
enters the chamber in a generally tangential direction to thus
pursue a spiral or circular path around the valve member 34 and
concentric to the discharge orifice 32, so as to issue through the
orifice 32 in a finely divided spray. In other words the chamber 36
with its associated passages 42 functions as a generally
conventional swirl or spin chamber in a manner well known in the
art.
To facilitate a more complete breaking up and dispersal of the
spray, air under pressure from the upper portion of the squeeze
bottle, above its liquid contents, is delivered into the liquid
chamber 36 separately from the liquid, to be there mixed and
expelled through the orifice 32 together with the liquid.
For this purpose, the upstanding wall 35 is radially inwardly
spaced from the outer surface of the cylindrical valve core 26 and
the socket or passage 38 which receives it within the valve housing
15, so that there is defined around the wall 35 and between the
outer peripheries of the wall 33 and the diaphragm 30 an air
chamber 46, which encircles the wall 35 and, in the upwardly
deflected open position of the diaphragm, communicates with the
mixing chamber 36 over the top of the said wall.
The air chamber 46 is part of an air discharge or infusion passage
which is separate from the product passage and which extends
downwardly through the fitment from the mixing chamber 36 through a
connecting portion 48 into the upper portion of the squeeze bottle.
In the embodiment here illustrated, the passage portion 48 is
simply formed as a groove in the outer wall of the valve core 26
opening upwardly into the chamber 46 and opening downwardly at 50
into the enlarged or downwardly fleared lower end of the socket
38.
As is shown in FIG. 2, concentric portions 38a and 38b of the
flexible diaphragm 38 are in axial registry respectively with the
mixing chamber 36 and with the air chamber 46. In order to
facilitate simultaneous seating as well as to ease the pressure
requirements for opening of these concentric diaphragm portions, it
is desirable to provide an annular weakened zone 52 in the
diaphragm between the two diaphragm portions 38a and 38b so as to
permit a certain amount of relative flexing between them. Also,
around the outer periphery of the outer diaphragm portion 38b,
there is provided a thin or reduced thickness portion 54 about
which the entire diaphragm may flex with respect to the rest of the
valve core to which it is integrally connected at 54.
Further, in the preferred embodiment it will be observed that the
upper end edge 56 of the wall 35 between the chambers 36 and 46 is
bevelled or inclined to serve as a valve seat in cooperation with
the annular valve or seal 58 which depends from the diaphragm 38
preferably in registry with the inner periphery of the diaphragm
portion 38b. This seal 58 constitutes an integral portion of the
diaphragm 38 and is of downwardly converging cross section whereby
its lower end may be radially inwardly deflected to maintain a
sealing engagement with the bevelled edge 56 of the wall 35
throughout a substantial range of axial movement. Moreover, the
slope of the outer face of the seal is preferably at a smaller
angle to the vertical than is the end edge 56.
The dissimilar face angles of the cooperating valve or seal 58 and
the upper end edge of the wall 35 provide a measure of flexibility
to ease the tolerance requirements in molding and assembly of the
plastic valve components, while adding valving efficiency by
facilitating conformity of the valving surfaces to each other when
closed. In particular that there is achieved a substantial line
contact between the cooperating surfaces or faces and the radial
flexibility of the valve or seal 58 will maintain sealing
engagement between these parts throughout a substantial range of
axial movement between them. Because of these tolerances, and also
because of axial flexibility of the quite thin inner perepheral
portion of the diaphragm around and adjacent to the orifice 32, it
will be possible to achieve and maintain simultaneous seating of
the valve member 34 within the orifice 32, and of the seal 58 with
respect to the wall 35, even though one normally seats somewhat
prior to the other. In other words the arrangement is such as to
accommodate practical manufacturing tolerances.
In the operation of the preferred embodiment of the invention, as
pressure is applied to the deformable container or squeeze bottle,
as by means of a manual squeeze stroke, such pressure is
transmitted to the flowable product to be dispensed from the
container as well as to the air therewithin, escape of the air
through the port 20 being prevented by seating of the inlet air
valve 25 against seat 22. Such pressure will raise the liquid or
flowable contents of the container upwardly through the dip tube 40
into the mixing chamber 36 under pressure, while forcing air under
super atmospheric pressure, upwardly through passages 50 and 48
into the air chamber 46. Such super atmospheric pressure acting
against the under surface of the diaphragm 30 will manifestly raise
the latter to unseat it substantially simultaneously from the valve
member 34 and from the wall 35, whereby the air from the chamber 46
flows radially inwardly from all sides into the chamber 36 to be
intimately intermixed with the liquid therein, while the liquid,
being admitted through the spirally inclined port or ports 42, will
undergo a rapid swirling action in the chamber 36 and the
intermixed air and liquid will be expelled under pressure through
the orifice 32 in the form of a finely divided spray.
It will be manifest that the spray will be intermittently ejected
through the orifice each time the container is compressed as by
manual squeezing. Between squeeze strokes, when the pressure is
released and the container is permitted to reexpand, the
reexpansion tendency will produce a sub-atmospheric pressure within
the container interior so that the atmospheric pressure acting
against the air inlet valve 25 will flex the latter downwardly to
unseat or open it and permit air freely to enter the container
through a path which is quite separate from that of the liquid
product discharged. The comparatively large circumference of the
valve 25 will permit quite rapid recovery or reexpansion of the
bottle between strokes. Moreover, the concentric encircling
relation of the inlet port 20 with respect to the orifice 32
enables the port to return any drip from the orifice back into the
containers. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, as above
described, the valve housing 15 is fixedly supported within the
closure or plug 10 by the substantially rigid supporting webs or
straps 16 and 18, while axial flexing of the air inlet valve 25 is
relied upon for opening and closing of the latter in response to
differential air pressures on its opposite sides.
However, in a modified embodiment of the invention, the air inlet
valve 25 may be formed of substantially rigid construction, while
the supporting webs or straps 16 and 18 may be proportioned and/or
formed of suitable plastic material having sufficient flexibility
to permit relative resilient axial displacement of the entire valve
housing and its contents from a normally unstressed and seated
position of the valve 25, as in FIG. 1, 2, to an opened and
downwardly displaced unseated position of that valve. The
construction and arrangement of parts will otherwise be identical
to that hereinbefore shown and described.
In either embodiment of the invention, it is important to note that
during each recovery stroke or reexpansion of the container, as
well as upon completion thereof prior to a repeated squeeze stroke,
the discharge orifice 32 is closed to maintain the product passage
and dip tube 40 primed full of the product in readiness for
discharge of a maximum volume of product on the next squeeze
stroke. At the same time, the sealing engagement of the wall 35
with the diaphragm isolates the air discharge or infusion passage
46, 48, 50 from the product so as to prevent clogging of the
passage. The same advantages are achieved during storage.
Accordingly, in addition to providing for rapid recovery, the
present fitment provides for maintaining the product passage fully
primed between squeeze strokes to substantially increase the spray
emitting capacity of the fitment, while avoiding clogging of the
air discharge passage.
Such a fitment is adapted for economical mass production by
conventional plastic molding techniques and comprises only two
separately formed unitary parts, other than the dip tube.
In the present application there has been specifically shown and
described only a single embodiment of the invention, together with
a slight modification. However, it is recognized that the invention
is capable of other and different embodiments within the scope of
the appended claims.
* * * * *