Multiple Purpose Nozzle

Abstract

A nozzle located at the discharge end of a container includes a tubular member and a cap thereon. The tubular member has a bore in communication with the container interior for passage therethrough of the container contents to be dispensed. The cap is adjustably mounted on the tubular member and capable of being turned to a first position at which the bore of the tubular member is closed to prevent the passage of the material to be dispensed. The cap is adapted to be turned to either of two discharge positions depending on the discharge pattern desired. In these positions the bore is opened and is placed in communication with a laterally offset discharge opening in the closed end of the cap through a passageway defined by cooperating surfaces of the end wall of the tubular member and inside of the cap.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Products to be dispensed, such as consumer products, are generally contained in a variety of packages. Some are dispensed from "squeeze" bottles, containers bearing pumps or other product propelling mechanisms. In most instances, the dispensing mechanisms are protected against accidental product discharge or leakage either during shipment, storage or display on retail shelves or racks. For such purposes, safety or overcaps, pins, and plugs among other approaches have been employed with various degrees of success. Some have been ineffectual for one reason or another, while others costly because of the relatively high expense of manufacture. More importantly, once the safety mechanism was deactivated, the product could thereafter be accidentally or inadvertently discharged. In addition, the available discharge pattern of the prior art packages was as a rule fixed and not selectively variable by the consumer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a multipurpose nozzle for the discharge mechanism of bottles or containers which may assume a first position at which the mechanism is closed or sealed against premature, accidental or inadvertent discharge or leakage of the product to be dispensed and one or more other positions at which the product may be dispensed in a corresponding number of discharge patterns depending on the selection of the consumer.

Another object is to provide a multipurpose nozzle of the foregoing type that embodies relatively few parts, each individually simple and inexpensive to manufacture and assemble, thereby maintaining nozzle cost at an absolute minimum.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention which is to be taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a multipurpose nozzle of this invention embodying only two parts with certain portions broken away, removed and sectioned;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the parts assembled with the nozzle in a spraying position;

FIG. 3 is a top view thereof;

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along the line 4--4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a front view of the assembled nozzle turned to a closed or sealed position at which product cannot be dispensed;

FIG. 6 is a top view thereof;

FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along the line 7--7 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a front view of the assembled nozzle turned to a position at which the product may be discharged in a stream;

FIG. 9 is a top view thereof; and

FIG. 10 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along the line 10--10 of FIG. 8.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The multipurpose nozzle illustrated in the drawings is comprised of only two parts, tubular member 20 and cap 22. The tubular member 20 may form part or be an integral extension of the discharge end of a dispenser which may assume any one of a number of varieties, as for example, a pump actuated dispenser, aerosol dispenser or squeeze bottle type of dispenser to mention a few. The tubular member 20 is provided with a tubular extension 24 which cooperates in defining a pair of spaced stop shoulders 26 and 28, the engagement of which aids in locating the cap 22 when orienting the nozzle in one of its plurality of discharge positions. The tubular extension 24 includes a free end 30 having staggered recess 32 for cooperating with the cap 22 in producing a spray and a channel 34 for cooperating with this cap in producing a stream. The recess 32 and channel 34 extends into a pair of opposed peripheral slots 36 and 38, both of which also communicate with bore 40 extending through the tubular member 20 and through which the material to be dispensed is adapted to pass.

The cap 20 is adapted to be rotatively disposed about the tubular extension 24 between a closed position at which the material to be dispensed is sealed and may not be discharged and either of the two dispensing positions for discharging a spray or stream. The cap 22 includes a substantially flat end wall 42 from which extends the tubular skirt 44. The skirt 44 is provided with a projection 46 which has a shoulder 48 adapted to engage with shoulder 26 in locating one of the discharge positions and shoulder 50 which engages with shoulder 28 upon turning of the cap 22 in locating the other discharge position. Towards this end, the end wall 42 is provided with a discharge opening 51 which is adapted to be aligned with the recess 32 and channel 34 in these extreme discharge positions, respectively. A centrally located boss 52 extends coaxially from the inner face of the end wall 42. The end wall on this boss 52 is provided with a transversely extending slot 54. This slot is adapted to communicate the bore 40 with the peripherals 36 and 38 in permitting discharge through the orifice 51. The inner wall of the skirt 44 may include a continuous recess 56 which is adapted to accommodate the continuous bead 58 upon the extension 24 in securing the cap on this extension.

When the cap 22 is turned 90.degree., the boss closes off the bore 40 and the material to be dispensed is not permitted to enter into the peripheral slots 36 and 38 through the transverse slot 54.

In operation and assuming that it is desired to initially dispense a product in a spray pattern, the cap 22 will be turned and oriented on the tubular member 20 as shown in FIGS. 3 to 4. In this position, the product is adapted to pass from the bore 40 into the peripheral slots 36 and 38, into the passage 32 and out through the discharge orifice 51. In this position, the shoulder 48 will be engaged with shoulder 26 to maintain the cap 22 in this discharge position.

Upon turning and rotating of the cap 22 in a counterclockwise direction, approximately 90 degrees of the boss 52 will seal off the bore 40 and prevent any discharge of the product to be dispensed as shown in FIGS. 5 to 7. Upon turning of the cap 22 approximately 90 degrees in a counterclockwise direction, the discharge opening 51 will be aligned with the channel 34 to permit discharge of the product in a stream as shown in FIGS. 8 to 10. In this position, the shoulder 50 is in engagement with shoulder 28.

When it is desired to seal off the bore once again, the cap need only be turned approximately 90 degrees in a clockwise direction.

Thus, the several aforegoing objects and advantages are most effectively attained. Although a single, somewhat preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed and described in detail herein, it should be understood that this invention is in no sense limited thereby and its scope is to be determined by that of the appended claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A multiple purpose nozzle comprising a tubular member having a bore therethrough and through which material to be dispensed is adapted to pass, an adjustable cap associated with the tubular member and adapted to assume a first position at which it seals off the bore to prevent the material from being dispensed, the cap adapted to assume at least one other position at which the material to be dispensed is adapted to pass in a selected predetermined discharge pattern, the cap including a discharge orifice that is radially offset in relation to the axis of the bore of the tubular member and surfaces of the tubular member and cap define a passageway from the bore to the orifice when the cap is in the other position, the tubular member having an end wall, and the cap having an outer flat closed wall having the discharge orifice and a tubular skirt disposed around the end wall, the end wall of the tubular member and the flat closed wall of the cap cooperating to form between them a laterally extending portion of said passageway when the cap is in the other position, the end wall including a cavity of predetermined configuration at the other position which cooperates with the orifice in producing the selected discharge pattern, the cap including a boss extending from the flat wall inwardly within and coaxial with the skirt and being disposed within the bore of the tubular member, the boss having a slot in its free end and the end wall of the tubular member having at least one peripheral slot communicating with the bore and the cavity, said slot in the cap boss communicating with the bore and the peripheral slot in defining the passageway when the cap is in the other position, the boss being adapted to close off the bore and its communication with the peripheral slot when in the first position, and coupling means for associating the cap with the tubular member whereby the cap may be shifted between the first and other position.

2. The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein surfaces of the tubular member and cap define stop means for releasably locating the cap at each of the positions.

3. The invention in accordance with claim 2 wherein the stop means for the first position is determined by engaged longitudinally extending flanges on the tubular member and cap.

4. The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein a laterally projecting bead and accommodating recess cooperate in securing the cap on the tubular member.

5. The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein there are two of the other positions approximately 180.degree. apart with the discharge pattern of one being a spray and the other pattern being a stream.

6. A multiple purpose nozzle comprising a tubular member having a coaxial bore therethrough and through which material to be dispensed is adapted to pass, an adjustable cap associated with the tubular member and adapted to assume a first position at which it seals off the bore to prevent the material from being dispensed, the rotatable cap adapted to assume at least one other position at which the material to be dispensed is adapted to pass in a selected predetermined discharge pattern, the cap including a rotatable discharge orifice that is radially offset in relation to the axis of the bore of the tubular member and surfaces of the tubular member and cap define a passageway from the bore to the orifice when the cap is in the other position, the tubular member having an end wall, and the cap having an outer flat closed wall having the discharge orifice and a tubular skirt disposed around the end wall, the end wall including a cavity of predetermined configuration at the other position which cooperates with the orifice in producing the selected discharge pattern, the end wall of the tubular member and the flat closed wall of the cap being essentially in the same plane, and coupling means for associating the cap with the tubular member whereby the cap may be shifted between the first and other position, there being two of the other positions approximately 180.degree. apart with the discharge pattern of one being a spray and the other pattern being a stream, the cavity in the end wall of tubular member including a channel which cooperates in producing the stream and a staggered recess for cooperating in producing a mechanical break-up in providing the spray pattern.

7. A multiple purpose nozzle comprising a tubular member having an axially extending passage means therethrough and through which material to be dispensed is adapted to pass, an adjustable cap associated with the tubular member and adapted to assume a first position at which it seals off the passage means to prevent the material from being dispensed, the cap adapted to assume at least on other position at which the material to be dispensed is adapted to pass in a selected predetermined discharge pattern, the cap including a discharge orifice that is offset in relation to the passage means of the tubular member throughout the traverse from the first position to the other position, surfaces of the tubular member and cap define a passageway from the passage means to the orifice when the cap is in the other position, the tubular member having an end wall, and the cap having an outer flat closed wall having the discharge orifice and a tubular skirt disposed around the end wall, the end wall of the tubular member and the flat closed wall of the cap cooperating to form between them a laterally extending portion of said passageway when the cap is in the other position, the passageway including a cavity of predetermined configuration at the other position which cooperates with the orifice in producing the selected discharge pattern, the cap including a boss extending from the flat wall inwardly within and coaxial with the skirt, the boss and tubular member having cooperating slots forming part of the passageway communicating with the passage means and the cavity when the cap is in the other position, the boss being adapted to close off the passage means and its communication with the orifice when the cap is in the first position, and coupling means for associating the cap with the tubular member whereby the cap may be shifted between the first and other position.

8. A multiple purpose nozzle in accordance with claim 7, wherein surfaces of the tubular member and cap define stop means for releasably locating the cap at each of the discharge positions, the surfaces defining the stop means including longitudinally extending flanges on the exterior of the tubular member and the end of the skirt opposite the cap closed wall, the interengaging flanges defining two of the other positions with the discharge pattern of one being different from that of the other, and coupling means for associating the cap with the tubular member whereby the cap may be shifted between the first and other position.

9. A multiple purpose nozzle in accordance with claim 7, wherein the coupling means includes a continuous laterally projecting bead and accommodating continuous recess extending normal to the axis of the tubular member to cooperate in securing the cap on the tubular member.

10. A multiple purpose nozzle in accordance with claim 7, wherein the end wall of the tubular member and the flat closed wall of the cap being essentially in the same plane throughout the traverse of the cap between the first and other position.