Squeeze bottle atomizers and liquid dispensers

Claim 2

A squeeze bottle atomizer comprising: a. a resilient flexible container having a liquid reservoir adapted to hold a liquid with an air dome above said liquid reservoir; b. a spray head connected to said container and having a mixing chamber; c. an air inlet passageway communicating with said air dome and having an outlet communicating with said mixing chamber; d. an outlet passageway communicating with the exterior of said head and having an opening communicating with said mixing chamber with at least a portion of said outlet passageway having a cross-sectional area smaller than the cross-sectional area of said chamber; e. a wick inside said mixing chamber overlying said opening of said outlet passageway and a fiNe mesh screen within said chamber interposed between said wick and said opening; and f. a liquid conduit communicating with said liquid reservoir and said chamber, said liquid conduit having an outlet positioned with respect to said air passageway so that when said container is squeezed air passing from said dome through said air passageway will enter said chamber and impinge on and partially nebulize liquid emerging from said conduit into said chamber with said partially nebulized liquid being further nebulized by said wick and said outlet passageway.

Claim 3

A squeeze bottle atomizer as defined in claim 1 including an adjustable means for restricting said air inlet passageway.

Claim 4

A squeeze bottle atomizer as defined in claim 1 including a second air inlet passageway in communication with the exterior of said head and said air dome and a pressure actuated valve movable to seal said second passageway in response to said container being squeezed.

Claim 5

A squeeze bottle atomizer as defined in claim 3 in which said second air inlet passageway in said head is defined at least in part by a second chamber in said spray head, said second chamber communicating directly with said air dome, and said valve is disposed in said second chamber.

Claim 6

A squeeze bottle atomizer as defined in claim 1 in which said outlet passageway includes a spout projecting exteriorly from said head and having a restricted passage and discharge opening at the free end of said spout spaced from said head and having a small area adjacent said opening which will dispense a liquid within said container in the form of individual drops when said container is at least partially inverted so as to cause liquid to flow by gravity from said liquid reservoir to said spout discharge opening via said mixing chamber and outlet passageway.

Claim 7

A squeeze bottle atomizer comprising: a. a resilient flexible container having a liquid reservoir adapted to hold a liquid with an air dome above said liquid reservoir; b. a spray head connected to said container and having a mixing chamber; c. an air inlet passageway communicating with said air dome and having an outlet communicating with said mixing chamber; d. an outlet passageway communicating with the exterior of said head and having an opening communicating with said mixing chamber with at least a portion of said outlet passageway having a cross-sectional area smaller than the cross-sectional area of said chamber; e. a wick inside said mixing chamber overlying said opening of said outlet passageway; f. a liquid conduit communicating with said liquid reservoir and said chamber, said liquid conduit having an outlet positioned with respect to said air passageway so that when said container is squeezed air passing from said dome through said air passageway will enter said chamber and impinge on and partially nebulize liquid emerging from said conduit into said chamber with said partially nebulized liquid being further nebulized by said wick and said outlet passageway; and g. an adjustable means for restricting said air inlet passageway, said adjustable means comprising at least a part of said liquid conduit slidably engaging said chamber and being adjustable relative thereto to variably restrict the opening in said air passageway communicating with said mixing chamber.

Claim 8

A squeeze bottle atomizer comprising: a. a resilient flexible container having a liquid reservoir adapted to hold a liquid with an air dome above said liquid reservoir; b. a spray head connected to said container and having a mixing chamber; c. an air inlet passageway communicating with said air dome and having an outlet communicating with said mixing chamber; d. an outlet passageway communicating with the exterior of said head and having an opening communicating with said mixing chamber with at least a portion of said outlet passageway having a cross-sectional area smaller than the cross-sectional area of said chamber; e. a wick inside said mixing chamber overlying said opening of said outlet passageway; f. a liquid conduit communicating with said liquid reservoir and said chamber, said liquid conduit having an outlet positioned with respect to said air passageway so that when said container is squeezed air passing from said dome through said air passageway will enter said chamber and impinge on and partially nebulize liquid emerging from said conduit into said chamber with said partially nebulized liquid being further nebulized by said wick and said outlet passageway; and g. an adjustable means for restricting said air inlet passageway, said adjustable means comprising at least a part of said liquid conduit slidably engaging said chamber and being adjustable relative thereto to variably restrict the opening in said air passageway communicating with said mixing chamber.

Claim 9

A squeeze bottle atomizer as defined in claim 6 in which said liquid conduit comprises a tube extending into said liquid reservoir.

Claim 10

A squeeze bottle atomizer comprising: a. a resilient flexible container having a liquid reservoir adapted to hold a liquid with an air dome above said liquid reservoir; b. a spray head connected to said container and having a mixing chamber; c. an air inlet passageway communicating with said air dome and having an outlet communicating with said mixing chamber; d. an outlet passageway communicating with the exterior of said head and having an opening communicating with said mixing chamber with at least a pOrtion of said outlet passageway having a cross-sectional area smaller than the cross-sectional area of said chamber to further nebulize a partially nebulized liquid; e. a liquid conduit communicating with said liquid reservoir and said chamber, said liquid conduit having an outlet positioned to cause a stream of liquid to issue therefrom into said chamber in a given direction in response to squeezing of said container, said outlet of said air passageway being oriented relative to said outlet of said liquid conduit such that when said container is squeezed air passing from said dome through said air passageway will enter said chamber in a direction transverse to said stream of liquid and impinge on and partially nebulize said stream of liquid emerging from said outlet of said liquid conduit into said chamber, said opening of said outlet passageway being spaced from said outlets of said air passageway and liquid passageway, said outlet passageway being oriented with its axis transverse to said given direction, whereby said partially nebulized liquid is forced from said chamber and into said outlet passageway and further nebulized by said outlet passageway; and f. a valve means disposed in said mixing chamber which prevents unnebulized liquid from flowing from such container through said outlet passageway when said container is inverted.

Claim 11

A squeeze bottle atomizer comprising: a. a resilient flexible container having a liquid reservoir adapted to hold a liquid with an air dome above said liquid reservoir; b. a spray head connected to said container and having a mixing chamber; c. an air inlet passageway communicating with said air dome and having an outlet communicating with said mixing chamber; d. an outlet passageway communicating with the exterior of said head and having an opening communicating with said mixing chamber with at least a pOrtion of said outlet passageway having a cross-sectional area smaller than the cross-sectional area of said chamber to further nebulize a partially nebulized liquid; e. a liquid conduit communicating with said liquid reservoir and said chamber, said liquid conduit having an outlet positioned to cause a stream of liquid to issue therefrom into said chamber in a given direction in response to squeezing of said container, said outlet of said air passageway being oriented relative to said outlet of said liquid conduit such that when said container is squeezed air passing from said dome through said air passageway will enter said chamber in a direction transverse to said stream of liquid and impinge on and partially nebulize said stream of liquid emerging from said outlet of said liquid conduit into said chamber, said opening of said outlet passageway being spaced from said outlets of said air passageway and liquid passageway, said outlet passageway being oriented with its axis transverse to said given direction, whereby said partially nebulized liquid is forced from said chamber and into said outlet passageway and further nebulized by said outlet passageway; and f. a valve means disposed in said mixing chamber which prevents unnebulized liquid from flowing from such container through said outlet passageway when said container is inverted.

Claim 12

A squeeze bottle atomizer as defined in claim 8 in which said valve means comprises a gravity-actuated valve with said mixing chamber including a valve seat disposed above said valve when said container is upright so that said valve is free to move between an open position when said container is upright to a closed position of engagement with said seat when said container is inverted.

Claim 13

A squeeze bottle atomizer as defined in claim 1 comprising a valve means disposed in said mixing chamber which prevents an unnebulized liquid from flowing from said container through said outlet passageway when said container is inverted.

Claim 14

A squeeze bottle atomizer as defined in claim 10 in which said valve means comprises a gravity-actuated valve with said mixing chamber including a valve seat disposed above said valve when said container is upright so that said valve is free to move between an open position when said container is upright to a closed position of engagement with said seat when said container is inverted.

Claim 15

A squeeze bottle atomizer comprising: a. a resilient flexible container having a liquid reservoir adapted to hold a liquid with an air dome above said liquid reservoir; b. a spray head connected to said container and having a mixing chamber; c. an air inlet passageway communicating with said air dome and having an outlet communicating with said mixing chamber; d. an outlet passageway communicating with the exterior of said head and having an opening communicating with said mixing chamber with at least a portion of said outlet passageway having a cross-sectional area smaller than the cross-sectional area of said chamber to further nebulize a partially nebulized liquid flowing from said chamber into said outlet passageway; and e. a liquid conduit having an inlet communicating with said liquid reservoir and an outlet communicating with said chamber, said liquid conduit outlet being positioned to cause a stream of liquid to issue therefrom into said chamber in a given direction in response to squeezing of said container, said outlet of said air passageway being adjacent to and oriented relative to said outlet of said liquid conduit such that when said container is squeezed a stream of air passing from said dome through said air passageway will enter said chamber in a direction transverse to said given direction of said stream of liquid and impinge on and partially nebulize said stream of liquid emerging from said outlet of said liquid conduit into said chamber, said opening of said outlet passageway being spaced from said outlets of said air passageway and liquid passageway by a distAnce greater than the spacing between said outlets, said outlet passageway being oriented with its axis transverse to said given direction, whereby said partially nebulized liquid is forced from said chamber and into said outlet passageway and further nebulized by said outlet passageway, said opening of said outlet passageway being disposed with its axis generally perpendicular to said given direction of said stream of liquid, said outlet of said air inlet passageway being oriented with its axis generally perpendicular to the axis of said outlet of said liquid conduit, said mixing chamber comprising a relatively long and narrow tubular conduit having a lateral dimension greater than that of said outlets and that of said opening and a lengthwise dimension at least several times said lateral dimension, said conduit extending lengthwise generally parallel to the axis of said outlet of said liquid conduit, said mixing conduit containing a nebulizing screen positioned therein so as to extend across the flow of the liquid-air mixture through said conduit toward said opening such that all of said mixture passes through said screen and is further nebulized by said screen.

Claim 16

A squeeze bottle atomizer comprising: a. a resilient flexible container having a liquid reservoir adapted to hold a liquid with an air dome above said liquid reservoir; b. a spray head connected to said container and having a mixing chamber; c. an air inlet passageway communicating with said air dome and having an outlet communicating with said mixing chamber; d. an outlet passageway communicating with the exterior of said head and having an opening communicating with said mixing chamber with at least a portion of said outlet passageway having a cross-sectional area smaller than the cross-sectional area of said chamber to further nebulize a partially nebulized liquid flowing from said chamber into said outlet passageway; and e. a liquid conduit having an inlet communicating with said liquid reservoir and an outlet communicating with said chamber, said liquid conduit outlet being positioned to cause a stream of liquid to issue therefrom into said chamber in a given direction in response to squeezing of said container, said outlet of said air passageway being adjacent to and oriented relative to said outlet of said liquid conduit such that when said container is squeezed a stream of air passing from said dome through said air passageway will enter said chamber in a direction transverse to said given direction of said stream of liquid and impinge on and partially nebulize said stream of liquid emerging from said outlet of said liquid conduit into said chamber, said opening of said outlet passageway being spaced from said outlets of said air passageway and liquid passageway by a distAnce greater than the spacing between said outlets, said outlet passageway being oriented with its axis transverse to said given direction, whereby said partially nebulized liquid is forced from said chamber and into said outlet passageway and further nebulized by said outlet passageway, said opening of said outlet passageway being disposed with its axis generally perpendicular to said given direction of said stream of liquid, said outlet of said air inlet passageway being oriented with its axis generally perpendicular to the axis of said outlet of said liquid conduit, said mixing chamber comprising a relatively long and narrow tubular conduit having a lateral dimension greater than that of said outlets and that of said opening and a lengthwise dimension at least several times said lateral dimension, said conduit extending lengthwise generally parallel to the axis of said outlet of said liquid conduit, said mixing conduit containing a nebulizing screen positioned therein so as to extend across the flow of the liquid-air mixture through said conduit toward said opening such that all of said mixture passes through said screen and is further nebulized by said screen.

Claim 17

A squeeze bottle atomizer comprising: a. a resilient flexible container having a liquid reservoir adapted to hold a liquid with an air dome above said liquid reservoir; b. a spray head connected to said container and having a mixing chamber; c. an air inlet passageway communicating with said air dome and having an outlet communicating with said mixing chamber; d. an outlet passageway communicating with the exterior of said head and having an opening communicating with said mixing chamber with at least a portion of said outlet passageway having a cross-sectional area smaller than the cross-sectional area of said chamber to further nebulize a partially nebulized liquid flowing from said chamber into said outlet passageway; and e. a liquid conduit having an inlet communicating with said liquid reservoir and an outlet communicating with said chamber, said liquid conduit outlet being positioned to cause a stream of liquid to issue therefrom into said chamber in a given direction in response to squeezing of said container, said outlet of said air passageway being adjacent to and oriented relative to said outlet of said liquid conduit such that when said container is squeezed a stream of air passing from said dome through said air passageway will enter said chamber in a direction transverse to said given direction of said stream of liquid and impinge on and partially nebulize said stream of liquid emerging from said outlet of said liquid conduit into said chamber, said opening of said outlet passageway being spaced from said outlets of said air passageway and liquid passageway by a distance greater than the spacing between said outlets, said outlet passageway being oriented with its axis transverse to said given direction, whereby said partially nebulized liquid is forced from said chamber into said outlet passageway and further nebulized by said outlet passageway, said opening of said outlet passageway being disposed with its axis generally perpendicular to said given direction of said stream of liquid, said outlet of said air inlet passageway being oriented with its axis generally perpendicular to the axis of said outlet of said liquid conduit, said mixing chamber comprising a relatively long and narrow tubular conduit having a lateral dimension greater than that of said outlets and that of said opening and a lengthwise dimension at least several times said lateral dimension, said conduit extending lengthwise generally parallel to the axis of said outlet of said liquid conduit, a nebulizing flow restriction being positioned in said conduit between said outlets and said opening to further nebulize the liquid-air mixture flowing through said conduit toward said opening, said nebulizing flow restriction comprising a screen positioned transverse to the flow of the liquid-air mixture through sAid conduit toward said opening.

Claim 18

A squeeze bottle atomizer comprising: a. a resilient flexible container having a liquid reservoir adapted to hold a liquid with an air dome above said liquid reservoir; b. a spray head connected to said container and having a mixing chamber; c. an air inlet passageway communicating with said air dome and having an outlet communicating with said mixing chamber; d. an outlet passageway communicating with the exterior of said head and having an opening communicating with said mixing chamber with at least a portion of said outlet passageway having a cross-sectional area smaller than the cross-sectional area of said chamber to further nebulize a partially nebulized liquid flowing from said chamber into said outlet passageway; and e. a liquid conduit having an inlet communicating with said liquid reservoir and an outlet communicating with said chamber, said liquid conduit outlet being positioned to cause a stream of liquid to issue therefrom into said chamber in a given direction in response to squeezing of said container, said outlet of said air passageway being adjacent to and oriented relative to said outlet of said liquid conduit such that when said container is squeezed a stream of air passing from said dome through said air passageway will enter said chamber in a direction transverse to said given direction of said stream of liquid and impinge on and partially nebulize said stream of liquid emerging from said outlet of said liquid conduit into said chamber, said opening of said outlet passageway being spaced from said outlets of said air passageway and liquid passageway by a distance greater than the spacing between said outlets, said outlet passageway being oriented with its axis transverse to said given direction, whereby said partially nebulized liquid is forced from said chamber into said outlet passageway and further nebulized by said outlet passageway, said opening of said outlet passageway being disposed with its axis generally perpendicular to said given direction of said stream of liquid, said outlet of said air inlet passageway being oriented with its axis generally perpendicular to the axis of said outlet of said liquid conduit, said mixing chamber comprising a relatively long and narrow tubular conduit having a lateral dimension greater than that of said outlets and that of said opening and a lengthwise dimension at least several times said lateral dimension, said conduit extending lengthwise generally parallel to the axis of said outlet of said liquid conduit, a nebulizing flow restriction being positioned in said conduit between said outlets and said opening to further nebulize the liquid-air mixture flowing through said conduit toward said opening, said nebulizing flow restriction comprising a screen positioned transverse to the flow of the liquid-air mixture through sAid conduit toward said opening.

Claim 19

A squeeze bottle atomizer comprising: a. a resilient flexible container having a liquid reservoir adapted to hold a liquid with an air dome above said liquid reservoir; b. a spray head connected to said container and having a mixing chamber; c. an air inlet passageway communicating with said air dome and having an outlet communicating with said mixing chamber; d. an outlet passageway communicating with the exterior of said head and having an opening communicating with said mixing chamber with at least a portion of said outlet passageway having a cross-sectional area smaller than the cross-sectional area of said chamber to further nebulize a partially nebulized liquid flowing from said chamber into said outlet passageway; and e. a liquid conduit having an inlet communicating with said liquid reservoir and an outlet communicating with said chamber, said liquid conduit outlet being positioned to cause a stream of liquid to issue therefrom into said chamber in a given direction in response to squeezing of said container, said outlet of said air passageway being adjacent to and oriented relative to said outlet of said liquid conduit such that when said container is squeezed a stream of air passing from said dome through said air passageway will enter said chamber in a direction transverse to said given direction of said stream of liquid and impinge on and partially nebulize said stream of liquid emerging from said outlet of said liquid conduit into said chamber, said opening of said outlet passageway being spaced from said outlets of said air passageway and liquid passageway by a distance greater than the spacing between said outlets, said outlet passageway being oriented with its axis transverse to said given direction, whereby said partially nebulized liquid is forced from said chamber and into said outlet passageway and further nebulized by said outlet passageway, said opening of said outlet passageway being disposed with its axis generally perpendicular to said given direction of said stream of liquid, said outlet of said air inlet passageway being oriented with its axis generally perpendicular to the axis of said outlet of said liquid conduit, said mixing chamber comprising a relatively long and narrow tubular conduit having a lateral dimension greater than that of said outlets and that of said opening and a lengthwise dimension at least several times said lateral dimension, said conduit extending lengthwise generally parallel to the axis of said outlet of said liquid conduit, said mixing chamber containing a wick overlying said opening of said outlet passageway whereby the partially nebulized stream of liquid passes through said wick on its way to said opening and is further nebulized by said wick, said mixing chamber containing a nebulizing screen positioned between said wick and said opening through which the partially nebulized liquid flows and is further nebulized on its way to said opening.

Claim 20

A squeeze bottle atomizer comprising: a. a resilient flexible container having a liquid reservoir adapted to hold a liquid with an air dome above said liquid reservoir; b. a spray head connected to said container and having a mixing chamber; c. an air inlet passageway communicating with said air dome and having an outlet communicating with said mixing chamber; d. an outlet passageway communicating with the exterior of said head and having an opening communicating with said mixing chamber with at least a portion of said outlet passageway having a cross-sectional area smaller than the cross-sectional area of said chamber to further nebulize a partially nebulized liquid flowing from said chamber into said outlet passageway; and e. a liquid conduit having an inlet communicating with said liquid reservoir and an outlet communicating with said chamber, said liquid conduit outlet being positioned to cause a stream of liquid to issue therefrom into said chamber in a given direction in response to squeezing of said container, said outlet of said air passageway being adjacent to and oriented relative to said outlet of said liquid conduit such that when said container is squeezed a stream of air passing from said dome through said air passageway will enter said chamber in a direction transverse to said given direction of said stream of liquid and impinge on and partially nebulize said stream of liquid emerging from said outlet of said liquid conduit into said chamber, said opening of said outlet passageway being spaced from said outlets of said air passageway and liquid passageway by a distance greater than the spacing between said outlets, said outlet passageway being oriented with its axis transverse to said given direction, whereby said partially nebulized liquid is forced from said chamber and into said outlet passageway and further nebulized by said outlet passageway, said opening of said outlet passageway being disposed with its axis generally perpendicular to said given direction of said stream of liquid, said outlet of said air inlet passageway being oriented with its axis generally perpendicular to the axis of said outlet of said liquid conduit, said mixing chamber comprising a relatively long and narrow tubular conduit having a lateral dimension greater than that of said outlets and that of said opening and a lengthwise dimension at least several times said lateral dimension, said conduit extending lengthwise generally parallel to the axis of said outlet of said liquid conduit, said mixing chamber containing a wick overlying said opening of said outlet passageway whereby the partially nebulized stream of liquid passes through said wick on its way to said opening and is further nebulized by said wick, said mixing chamber containing a nebulizing screen positioned between said wick and said opening through which the partially nebulized liquid flows and is further nebulized on its way to said opening.

Claim 21

A squeeze bottle atomizer as defined in claim 6 in which said wick extends into said tube.

Claim 22

A squeeze bottle atomizer as defined in claim 12 wherein a nebulizing flow restriction is positioned in said conduit between said outlets and said opening to further nebulize the liquid-air mixture flowing through said conduit toward said opening.

Claim 23

A squeeze bottle atomizer as defined in claim 16 wherein said nebulizing flow restriction comprises an orifice converging in the direction of flow through said mixing chamber conduit.