Pressure Accumulative Sprayer Device

Abstract

A sprayer device for use in spraying perfume, hair-spray, insecticide, etc., and more particularly a pressure accumulative sprayer device in which spring pressure and finger pressure are combined so as to enable to keep the pressure constant therein for spraying a fine mist therefrom. In this sprayer device, finger pressure is further applied to a spray liquid cumulatively compressed by spring pressure so as to replenish a loss of pressure during the spray thereby enabling to maintain the generation of a highly compressed and uniform spray from the beginning to the last independently of the manner of pressing the spray button. This pressure accumulative sprayer device, available in a simple construction and producible at a minor cost, also enables to apply a predominant spraying force to contained liquid by means of accumulating the pressure therein.

Description

This invention relates to a pressure accumulative sprayer device in which spring pressure and finger pressure are combined.

The conventional hand-operated pump type sprayer device suitable for spraying perfume, hair-spray, incecticide, etc. is known to have an inherent defect in that the spray pressure varies in proportion to a variation of pressure applied to the spray button resulting in a corresponding difference in the spray pattern since the sprayer is operated by the finger pressure alone.

In order to obviate the foregoing defect, a sprayer device has been introduced in which, for example, an internal pressure is produced for temporary accumulation therein so that the liquid is sprayed when the pressure reaches the saturation point. For the source of creating such internal pressure is utilized a soft material, such as rubber and the like, compressed air, compressed spring or the like.

If the internal pressure is invariable from the initial stage of spray up to the end, a mist of uniform particles and a uniform spray pattern are obtainable. However, each of the aforementioned internal pressure creating sources has an inherent property of non-uniform resilience. To be more precise, even if the resilience enables to obtain high pressure in the initial stage of spray, a pressure decline arises as the spray nears its termination with the result that a very rough mist is produced as a residual spray or the liquid itself is liable to flow out of the nozzle.

This invention relates to a pressure accumulative sprayer device in which, from a viewpoint that a decline of the internal liquid pressure can be prevented simply by replenishing the pressure loss, liquid compressed by a plunger operated by the finger pressure of a spray button is firstly maintained under spring pressure by a piston, spray being started when the plunger is lowered to a predetermined position, the plunger being gradually lowered to its lowermost position by the pressing force simultaneously with a decline of the internal pressure during the spray, thus the liquid being adapted to be compressed by the combination of the spring pressure and the finger pressure so that the pressure loss of the liquid can be replenished thereby enabling to obtain a uniform spray pattern from the beginning to the last.

A first object of this invention is to provide a pressure accumulative sprayer device in which finger pressure is further applied to spray liquid cumulatively compressed by spring pressure so as to replenish a pressure loss during the spray, thus a predetermined pressure being maintained thereby enabling to obtain a uniform spray pattern from the beginning to the last independently of a variation of the pressing force applied to the spray button.

A second object of this invention is to provide a pressure accumulative sprayer device which is of a simple construction, inexpensive and accordingly admissible for discarding after use once and for all.

A third object of this invention is to provide a pressure accumulative sprayer device which is capable of spraying minute mist but necessitates less finger pressure by means of adapting a specific spring to obtain a high internal pressure therein.

These and other objects are accomplished by the improvements, combinations and arrangements of parts constituting this invention, preferred embodiments of which are illustrated in relation with the annexed drawings hereinunder.

FIG. 1 is a perpendicular sectional view of a pressure accumulative sprayer device according to this invention, showing the state before a spray button is pressed in the first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a perpendicular sectional view of the pressure accumulative sprayer device illustrated in FIG. 1, showing the state after the spray button has been pressed.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the principal parts of a valve casing of the foregoing pressure accumulative sprayer device.

FIG. 4 is a perpendicular sectional view of a pressure accumulative sprayer device in this invention showing the state before a spray button is pressed in the second embodiment.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, the sprayer device A of this invention is fitted by a suitable known method into the opening of a container B capable of being held with one hand.

The sprayer device A substantially comprises a valve casing 11 fitted into the opening of the container B, a plunger 13 fitted into the valve casing 11 and having a spray button 12 at its upper end, and a cap 14 for use in mounting the valve casing 11 on the container B.

The valve casing 11 is formed in the shape of a cylinder loosely fittable into the opening of the container B, a flange 15 being continuously formed on the upper end outer peripheral face of said valve casing 11, said flange 15 being piled on the opening of said container B at the upper terminal thereof.

Within the valve casing 11 are axially formed a larger-diameter cylinder chamber 16 for primary compression extending downward from the upper end face of the valve casing 11 and terminating halfway, an intermediate chamber 17 for secondary compression which is positioned under the cylinder chamber 16 and has a smaller diameter than that of said cylinder chamber 16, a lower chamber 18 for tertiary compression which is positioned under the intermediate chamber 17 and has a smaller diameter than that of said intermediate chamber 17, a passage 19 which is positioned under the lower chamber 18 and has a tapering end of a small diameter, all said chambers and passage being adapted to communicate with each other. Furthermore, to the lower part of the valve casing 11 is secured a pipe 20 whose lower end extends to the bottom of the container B and the upper end thereof communicates with the passage 19.

A check valve 21 is incorporated in the passage 19, the check valve 21 being for use in checking a counter-current of the compressed liquid generated within the valve casing 11 backward into the container B.

However, the check valve 21 is openable when the pressure within the valve casing becomes negative as a result of reciprocation of the plunger 13.

The plunger 13 is inserted into the valve casing 11 from the upper end opening thereof, a spring receiving seat 22 being provided on the outer peripheral face of the plunger 13 in between upper and lower ends thereof, said seat 22 being positioned within the valve casing 11.

To the plunger 13 are externally fitted a piston 23 in a position below the spring receiving seat 22 so as to be airtightly slidable between the inner peripheral face of the cylinder chamber 16 and the outer peripheral face of the plunger 13, and a movable valve 24 in a position below said piston 23, said movable valve 24 having a smaller outside diameter than the inside diameter of the intermediate chamber 17 and a diameter larger than that of the lower chamber 18, and airtightly slidable on the outer peripheral face of the plunger 13. Moreover, a retaining member 25 for retaining the movable valve 24 is secured to the lower end of the plunger 13. It is desirable that the sliding portion of the piston 23 is adapted to have flexible resilience.

Springs 26 are compressively and externally fitted between the spring receiving seat 22 of the plunger 13 and the piston 23, the spring 26 being for use in urging the plunger 13 upward and the piston 23 downward.

A passage 27 having a closed lower end is provided axially through the plunger from the upper end thereof, a check valve 28 being built in the middle situation of the passage 27, an orifice 29 communicative with the passage 27 being provided through the lower end outer periphery of the plunger 13.

The check valve 28 is adapted to allow the compressed liquid to flow freely upward in the passage 27 while checking a countercurrent thereof.

A nozzle 30 communicative with the passage 27 is fitted into a spray button 12 mounted on the upper end of the plunger 13. If the nozzle 30 is provided with a spiral liquid passage, the liquid is sprayed with a rotary motion thereby enabling to obtain a very minute mist.

The cap 14 is screwed by means of a threaded portion thereof onto the container B, the cap 14 being adapted to secure the valve casing 11 by clamping the flange 15 between the top wall 31 of said cap 14 and the upper end opening of the container B, a penetrating hole 32 through which the upper part of the plunger 13 penetrates being provided in the center of the top wall 31.

In an open state in which the spray button 12 is not pressed downward, the spring receiving seat 22 of the plunger 13 abuts on the inner surface of the top wall of the cap 14 thereby closing the open space between the penetrating hole 32 and the plunger 13, the piston 23 abutting on the shoulder portion 33 between the cylinder chamber 16 and the intermediate chamber 17, the movable valve 24 being elevated so as to be brought into contact with the lower surface of the piston 23, the orifice 29 being closed by the movable valve 24 as shown in FIG. 1.

As shown in FIG. 3, in the valve casing 11 is provided a notch 35 on the shoulder portion 34 between the intermediate chamber 17 and the lower chamber 18 thereby enabling to maintain communication between said chambers 17 and 18 even after abutment of the movable valve 24 against said shoulder portion 34 as a result of the descent of the plunger 13. Furthermore, a communication hole 36 is provided in the upper part of the valve casing 11, said hole 36 being adapted to preclude the occurrence of negative pressure within the container B by causing the interior of said container B to communicate with the atmosphere when the penetrating hole 32 is opened by the spring receiving seat 22 as a result of the descent of the plunger 13.

The sprayer device of this invention has a construction as described hereinbefore, and the liquid within the container B is sprayed by this sprayer device A in the process as explained hereinunder.

If the spray button 12 is pressed downward in the state shown in FIG. 1 in which the spray button 12 is elevated, the piston 23 abuts on the shoulder portion 33, and the liquid is absorbed within the intermediate chamber 17 and the lower chamber 18, then said liquid is compressed as a result of entry of the plunger 13 at the lower end thereof into the intermediate chamber 17 and the lower chamber 18.

The compressed liquid elevates the piston 23 in proportion to the amount of compression due to the action of the check valve 21.

However, the liquid is maintained in the compressed state because the piston 23 is urged downward by the compression springs 26.

If the spray button 12 is pressed further downward, the descent of the movable valve 24 comes to a halt as it abuts against the shoulder portion 34, and if the spray button 12 is pressed still further, the orifice 29 at the lower end of the plunger 13 is opened within the lower chamber 18 so as to communicate with said lower chamber 18, whereby the compressed liquid is sprayed from the nozzle 30 through the passage 27.

The liquid is compressed by a predetermined pressure until the orifice 29 is opened independently of the amount of the finger pressure applied to the spray button 12.

That is, even when the spray button 12 is pressed slowly, the initial spray liquid is driven with sufficient pressure by the compression springs 26. Moreover, since the resilience of the spring 26 is maintained in an increased state as a result of the descent of the spring receiving portion 22, the spray liquid is under reinforced pressure.

The foregoing state continues insofar as the spray button 12 is pressed, that is, the spring receiving seat 22 is lowered.

If the spray button 12 is pressed downward to its lowermost position after the spray is started with the orifice 29 opened, the liquid within the valve casing 11 is subjected to combined pressure of the springs 26 and the finger. This combined pressure is equilibrated with the pressure of the springs 26, the piston 23 being moved to the position of equilibrium.

To be more precise, the springs 26 act as cushions thereby enabling to maintain the predetermined pressure on the liquid within the valve casing 11 which would otherwise be subjected to a reduced pressure as a result of the spray.

The accumulatively compressed liquid within the cylinder chamber 16 and the intermediate chamber 17 is adapted to travel to the orifice 29 through the notch 35.

The spray terminates with the descent of the spray button to the lowermost position and the abutment of the piston against the shoulder portion 33. If the finger pressure to the spray button is released after the termination of the spray, the plunger 13 commences its elevation due to the resilience of the springs 26.

With the commencement of the elevation of the plunger 13, the orifice 29 is closed by the movable valve 24, said valve 24 being drawn upward from the shoulder portion 34 by the retaining member 25, the lower end of the plunger 13 being elevated so as to be drawn out of the intermediate chamber 17 and the lower chamber 18, whereby a vacuum is created within said chambers 17 and 18, the resultant suction force causing the liquid within the container B to flow into the valve casing 11 through the pipe 20 by forcing the check valve 21 to open so as to be ready for a next spray.

The pressure within the container B is reduced according as the liquid therein is consumed, the resultant reduction of pressure preventing the replenishment of liquid into the valve casing 11.

In the sprayer device of this invention, however, the spring receiving seat 22 is detached from the lower face of the cap 14 when the spray button 12 is pressed thereby causing the penetrating hole 32 of the cap 14 to communicate with the communication hole 36 provided on the valve casing 11 for the communication between the cylinder chamber 16 and the container B, with the result that the atmosphere flows into the container B thereby enabling to preclude a reduction of pressure.

When the spray button 12 is not pressed, that is, the sprayer device is not used, the spring receiving seat 22 formed in the middle portion of the upper part of the plunger 13 is brought into airtight contact with the lower face of the cap 14 so as to close the penetrating hole 32 thereby enabling to prevent the liquid from leaking out of the container B.

If a predetermined amount of spray liquid is desired without elevating the piston 23 beyond a predetermined position, the excessive portion of the accumulatively compressed liquid may be restored to the container B by providing a passage for communication between the interior of the valve casing 11 and that of the container B.

As described hereinbefore, the sprayer device of this invention is convenient for use since both compression and spray of the liquid can be simultaneously obtained simply by pressing the spray button. Moreover, a spray of minute mist is obtainable independently of the manner of pressing the spray button.

Furthermore, a combination of the spring pressure and the finger pressure is produced simultaneously with the start of spray thereby enabling to replenish the pressure loss and maintain a predetermined spray pressure to the last without variation. Therefore, the sprayer device of this invention enables to obtain a uniform spray pattern from the beginning to the last which could never be expected from the conventional sprayer devices.

Following is an illustration of the second embodiment shown in FIG. 4 in which constituents having organizations and functions same as those designated by equivalent numbers in FIGS. 1-3 will be omitted from explaining.

In the second embodiment, another spring 40 is incorporated for urging said piston 23 downward thereby enabling to obtain a high internal pressure, said spring 40 being adapted in a compressed state between the top wall 31 of cap 14 and said piston 23 at the outside of said spring 26, the diameter of said piston 23 being enlarged so as to be larger than that of said plunger 13.

To describe more in detail, liquid is forced by the pushing of said spray button 12 into said intermediate chamber 17 and lower chamber 18 at the lowest terminal of said plunger 13 thereby the compressed liquid in both of said chambers 17 and 18 giving a rise to said piston 23 in proportion to the amount of said compression.

With the dual urging of said piston 23 by springs 26 and 40, the liquid is more compressed in this second embodiment than in case of the first embodiment, of course.

The pressing of said spray button 12 allows the movable valve 24 to open said orifice 29 thereby starting to spray the pressurized liquid therefrom, and with the decline of the internal pressure resulting in the descent of said piston 23, said spring 40 elongates thereby enabling the internal pressure to restore its predetermined level.

Also when said piston 23 is in its lowermost position abutting on said shoulder portion 33, said piston 26 is kept in a compressed state for refunctioning said plunger 13 thereby enabling to continue spray without declining of the internal pressure.

Said spring 40 in the second embodiment not only enables to produce higher pressure accumulative mist of liquid as described above but also enables to reduce finger pressure to apply on the spray button 12, said spring 40 functioning powerfully enough to make up for reduction of the finger pressure to apply on the spray button compared to that in the first embodiment.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A pressure accumulative sprayer device comprising in combination a valve casing provided with a cylinder chamber and a compression chamber having a shoulder portion in the lower part thereof, said valve casing being so fabricated as to be airtightly mounted on a container; a cap engageable with the valve casing and the container; a plunger the lower end of which is inserted into the valve casing through the cap, the upper end of said plunger being provided with a spray button having a nozzle, the portion of said plunger inserted into the valve casing being provided with a spring receiving seat, and an orifice in a position below said spring receiving seat, and moreover a communication hole thereinside for connecting the nozzle and the orifice with each other; a piston so fitted as to be airtightly slidable between the outer periphery of the plunger and the inner periphery of the cylinder chamber of the valve casing; springs compressively provided between the piston and the spring receiving seat for urging said piston and the plunger; a check valve for checking a counter-current of the liquid within the valve casing but permitting said liquid to travel in one direction; a movable valve slidably fitted to the plunger so as to close the orifice, said valve opening the orifice by permitting the descent of the plunger beyond its lower limit even after its abutment on the shoulder portion of the compression chamber thereby enabling to obtain a spray when the orifice communicates with the interior of the valve casing.

2. A pressure accumulative sprayer device as defined in claim 1 wherein an additional spring is incorporated so as to additionally urge the spring thereby enabling to obtain high internal pressure therein.

3. A pressure accumulative sprayer device as defined in claim 1 wherein a notch is provided in the shoulder portion of the compression chamber.

4. A pressure accumulative sprayer device as defined in claim 1 comprising a means for enabling the interior of the container to communicate with the ambient atmosphere when the plunger moves from its outermost position.