All-direction atomizers

Claim 2

In an atomizer of the character described, a resilient squeeze bottle closed by an elongated stopper structure which extends downwardly therein; said stopper structure, at its upper end region being provided with a slight mixing chamber having a ceiling wall and a central, upward discharge orifice through said wall, communicative with said chamber; said stopper structure also having a longitudinal air duct and a longitudinal liquid duct; the upper ends of said ducts being closely adjacent to each other and communicative respectively with said chamber; the lower end of the air duct being communicative with the bottle above a predetermined level from the bottom of the bottle; the lower end of the liquid duct being communicative with the lowermost region of the bottle; said liquid duct having a branch communicative with the uppermost region of the bottle; the upper end of the air duct being to one side of said discharge orifice and farther than the upper end of the liquid duct from said orifice, whereby air caused to flow in the air duct upon squeezing the bottle, will discharge into said chamber against said ceiling and thereby be deflected to proceed across the upper end of the liquid duct; said air flow being adapted to effect atomization of liquid in the liquid tube and force the atomized liquid through said discharge orifice.

Claim 3

An atomizer as defined in claim 1, wherein when the bottle is squeezed to maximum possible extent, the volume of the space within the atomizer, from said level to the bottom of the bottle is no greater than one-half the volume of the total space within the atomizer when the bottle is in its normal extended condition, and wherein the volume of the space within the atomizer when the latter is held in any position where the stopper structure is horizontal and the bottle squeezed to its maximum possible extent, the volume of the space in the bottle then below the said lower end of the air duct, is no greater than said volume from said level to the bottom of the bottle.

Claim 4

An atomizer as defined in claim 1, wherein the stopper structure is provided with an external head at its upper end which rests on the bottle, whereby the extent of the stopper structure is limited to have the lower end of the air duct above said level.

Claim 5

An atomizer as defined in claim 1, wherein the liquid duct and the discharge orifice are in alignment.

Claim 6

An atomizer as defined in claim 1, wherein the branch of the liquid duct is elongated.

Claim 7

An atomizer as defined in claim 1, wherein the upper end portion of the air duct is of reduced dimension.

Claim 8

An atomizer as defined in claim 1, whereIn the discharge orifice is vertical when the bottle is in erect position.

Claim 9

An atomizer as defined in claim 1, wherein the part of the stopper structure which is below the lower end of the air duct, includes a downwardly extending elongated rigid openwork; the lower part of the liquid duct being a tubular extension from that part of said structure having the air duct; said openwork being along said tubular extension.

Claim 10

An atomizer as defined in claim 8, wherein said openwork is a perforated tube; said tubular extension being within said perforated tube.

Claim 11

An atomizer as defined in claim 1, wherein the bottle has a neck, and said stopper structure comprises an inverted cup of material having some resilient quality tightly fitted in said mouth and having an external flange spaced from the mouth of said cup; said flange resting on the mouth rim of said neck; the discharge orifice being through the bottom wall of said cup; said orifice having a slight counterbore within the cup, two identical elongated rod pieces, each having a flat longitudinal face; said faces being against one another in the same direction and said rod pieces held assembled; said pieces having channels in their said flat surfaces; said channels being in a predetermined arrangement; the channels in one of said faces being right, and the channels in the other of said faces being left; the channel arrangements being such that on the assembly of said pieces, the channels form the air, liquid and branch ducts; the upper ends of said air and liquid ducts being through the upper surface of said assembled pieces; the upper end of said assembly being tightly fitted in said cup and against the bottom inner wall of said cup whereby said counterbore is formed into said chamber; the lower ends of said air and liquid ducts formed by said channels being at the lower end of said two assembled pieces, and a tubular extension from the lower end of the liquid duct formed in said pieces by said channels, constituting the lower portion of the liquid duct which reaches close to the bottom of the bottle.