Manually actuated liquid spraying device

Claim 2

A spray device with a manually actuated pump for nebulizing a liquid comprising a housing having a pump chamber therein, a first passageway communicating with said chamber and adapted to communicate with a container for liquid to be nebulized, a manually actuated piston slidably received in said chamber and adapted to pressurize a liquid in said chamber when manually moved in a dispensing stroke from a first position toward a second position in said chamber, a first valve received in said chamber for controlling the entry of all liquid from the container into said chamber and adapted to normally prevent the flow of a liquid from said chamber through said first passageway back to the container when the liquid in said chamber is pressurized by said piston, said first valve being yieldably urged to its closed position by pressurized liquid in said chamber, a second passageway communicating with said chamber and with a spray orifice, and means operably associated with said piston and said first valve to open said first valve to dump pressurized liquid from said chamber into said first passageway when said piston nears completion of its dispensing stroke while said piston is being manually displaced from said first position and is still moving toward said second position and pumping liquid from said chamber through said second passageway under pressure to said spray orifice, whereby the liquid to be nebulized is discharged from said spray orifice substantially without any dribble of the discharged liquid at the end of said dispensing stroke.

Claim 3

The spray device of claim 1 wherein said first valve comprises a valve member received in said chamber and said means operably associated with said first valve and said piston comprises a projection extending from said piston and adapted to engage and displace said valve member in said chamber to open said first passageway when said piston approaches said second position.

Claim 4

The spray device of claim 2 further including a valve seat adapted to receive said valve member in sealing engagement therewith and means yieldably urging said valve member into engagement with said valve seat.

Claim 5

The spray device of claim 3 wherein said valve member comprises a check ball and said means yieldably urging said check ball into engagement with said valve seat comprises resilient finger means carried by said housing and yieldably urging said check ball into sealing engagement with said valve seat.

Claim 6

The spray device of claim 4 wherein said finger means carried by said housing are integral therewith and said finger means and said housing are made of a slightly flexible resilient plastic material.

Claim 7

The spray device of claim 5 wherein said finger means comprise a plurality of fingers spaced from one another around said valve seat, each of said fingers extending to a free end thereof positioned beyond the center of said check ball in both the seated and unseated conditions thereof, each of said fingers being inclined slightly toward said ball such that the free ends of said fingers are spaced apart by a distance less than the diameter of said ball.

Claim 8

The spray device of claim 6 wherein the axes of said valve seat and said piston are coaxial and said fingers are inclined slightly toward one another and spaced about said axes, the direction of travel of the piston being aloNg its axis, said fingers being arranged with their free ends closest to said piston and said piston projection being offset laterally from the axis of said piston.

Claim 9

The spray device of claim 7 wherein said piston projection is offset from the axis of said piston by a distance less than the radius of said check ball, said piston projection having a rounded free end adapted to engage said check ball at a point offset from the axes of said piston and valve seat.

Claim 10

The spray device of claim 8 wherein said chamber has a wall surface spaced from said check ball and inclined in converging relation with said seat in the direction of travel of said piston on its dispensing stroke, said wall surface and said ball together defining a space for initially slidably receiving the free end of said piston projection as the same is deflected by said check ball during movement of said piston toward said second position thereof, said wall surface converging with the surface of said check ball in the direction of travel of the piston on its dispensing stroke such that said projection is cammed by said wall toward said check ball to displace the same from said seat to thereby open said first passageway when said piston reaches said second position.

Claim 11

The spray device of claim 5 wherein said piston and projection means are integral with one another and made of plastic material having greater flexibility than said plastic material from which said finger means and said housing are made.

Claim 12

The spray device of claim 10 wherein said piston has an outwardly flaring open-ended cup seal portion at its leading end, said second passageway including a passage extending axially through said piston and communicating at one end with the hollow interior of said cup seal portion, said piston projection being integrally joined at its fixed end to the base of said cup seal portion adjacent said piston passage and protruding through the hollow interior of said cup seal beyond the leading end thereof.

Claim 13

The spray device of claim 5 wherein said piston is mounted in said housing so as to have at least limited freedom of rotation therein about the center line of the path of travel of said piston on its dispensing stroke, said projection and said finger means having rounded free ends whereby upon interengagement of free ends of said projection and any one of said finger means a force is developed tending to rotate said piston to an angular position in which said projection means clears said one finger.

Claim 14

The spray device of claim 1 wherein said first valve comprises an inlet check valve for said chamber with a check ball movable between open and closed positions in response to reversals of pressure differentials between said chamber and first passageway corresponding to forces applied to said piston tending to move it in opposite directions on its respective intake and dispensing strokes.

Claim 15

The spray device of claim 13 wherein said housing has a valve seat adapted to sealingly receive said check ball and which also comprises including a compression coil spring extending between said piston and said check ball adapted to yieldably urge said check ball into sealing engagement with said valve seat.

Claim 16

The spray device of claim 2 wherein said piston has separate head and body portions and said projection comprises a finger extending from and integral with said head portion.

Claim 17

The spray device of claim 1 wherein said piston has a passage extending generally longitudinally therethrough forming part of said second passageway and the spray device also comprises a second valve having a valve stem carried by said piston and movable relative to said piston between open and closed flow controlling positions relative to said second passageway, said valve stem having a passage therein forming part of said second passageway and having an inlet port connecting said stem passage with said piston passage in the open position of said valve stem, sealing means carried by said piston And adapted to seal said inlet port when said valve stem is in said closed position, and biasing means interposed between said valve stem and said piston to yieldably urge said valve stem into said closed position, said stem being oriented to move from said closed to said open position thereof in the direction of travel of said piston on its dispensing stroke.

Claim 18

The spray device of claim 16 further including detent means engageable with said valve stem to yieldably resist movement of said valve stem from said closed toward said open position, said detent means yielding to release said valve stem for movement to said open position upon application of a predetermined force thereto tending to move said valve stem toward said open position to thereby cause a snap acting opening motion of said valve stem to place said inlet port in communication with said second passage, said force being transmitted through said detent means to said piston to cause pressurization of liquid in said chamber before said detent means yields to release said valve stem.

Claim 19

The spray device of claim 17 wherein said means yieldably urging said valve stem into said closed position comprises a coil spring encircling said valve stem, said coil spring having a convolution thereof formed with a chordal portion adapted to slidably contact a side of said valve stem, said valve stem having a shoulder engageable with said chordal portion when said valve stem is in said closed position, said shoulder and said chordal portion having surfaces adapted to develop upon interengagement thereof a radially outwardly directed force on said chordal portion in response to a force exerted on said valve stem to thereby cam said chordal portion into disengagement with said shoulder to effect sudden release of said valve stem so that it is rapidly propelled to the open position thereof.

Claim 20

The spray device of claim 1 which also comprises a second valve associated with said second passageway and adapted to close all communication of said spray orifice with said chamber when said piston is in said first position and to automatically open communication of said spray orifice with said chamber when a predetermined minimum force is applied to said piston to urge it toward said second position and pressurize liquid in said chamber, whereby the liquid to be nebulized is discharged from said spray orifice substantially without any dribble of the discharged liquid at the beginning of said dispensing stroke.

Claim 21

A spray device with a manually actuated pump for nebulizing a liquid comprising a housing having a chamber therein, a first passageway in said housing in communication with said chamber and adapted to communicate with a container for liquid to be nebulized, a piston carried by said housing and having a head slidably received in said chamber and adapted for manual displacement from a first to a second position along a dispensing stroke in said chamber to pressurize and pump liquid therefrom, a second passageway communicating with a spray orifice and said chamber, said second passageway including a passage in said piston, an outlet valve carried by said piston for controlling the flow of liquid in said second passageway to said spray orifice and movable relative to said piston between open and closed flow controlling positions, release means associated with said outlet valve to automatically release said outlet valve to move from said closed position to said open position when a predetermined minimum force is manually applied to said piston to urge it toward said second position, an inlet check valve in said chamber movable to open and closed positions for controlling the flow through said first passageway and being normally closed when a liquid in said chamber is pressurized by said piston, and actuator means in said chamber operably associated with said piston and said inlet check valve to open said inlet check valve when said piston is displaced from said first position and is still moving toward said second position while a liquid in said chamber is being pressurized by said piston, whereby when a manual force is applied to said piston when in said first position liquid in said chamber is first pressurized and then said release means releases said outlet valve allowing opening of said outlet valve to supply a liquid under pressure from said chamber to said spray orifice whereupon said piston is displaced along its dispensing stroke toward said second position and while being displaced along said dispensing stroke said actuator means opens said inlet check valve to allow pressurized liquid in said chamber to escape through said first passageway, thereby substantially eliminating all dribble at initiation and termination of the nebulized liquid discharge through said spray nozzle.

Claim 22

A spray device with a manually actuated pump for nebulizing a liquid comprising a housing having a chamber therein, a first passageway in said housing in communication with said chamber and adapted to communicate with a container for liquid to be nebulized, a piston carried by said housing and having a head slidably received in said chamber and adapted for manual displacement from a first to a second position along a dispensing stroke in said chamber to pressurize and pump liquid therefrom, a second passageway communicating with a spray orifice and said chamber, said second passageway including a passage in said piston, an outlet valve carried by said piston for controlling the flow of liquid in said second passageway to said spray orifice and movable relative to said piston between open and closed flow controlling positions, release means associated with said outlet valve to automatically release said outlet valve to move from said closed position to said open position when a predetermined minimum force is manually applied to said piston to urge it toward said second position, an inlet check valve in said chamber movable to open and closed positions for controlling the flow through said first passageway and being normally closed when a liquid in said chamber is pressurized by said piston, and actuator means in said chamber operably associated with said piston and said inlet check valve to open said inlet check valve when said piston is displaced from said first position and is still moving toward said second position while a liquid in said chamber is being pressurized by said piston, whereby when a manual force is applied to said piston when in said first position liquid in said chamber is first pressurized and then said release means releases said outlet valve allowing opening of said outlet valve to supply a liquid under pressure from said chamber to said spray orifice whereupon said piston is displaced along its dispensing stroke toward said second position and while being displaced along said dispensing stroke said actuator means opens said inlet check valve to allow pressurized liquid in said chamber to escape through said first passageway, thereby substantially eliminating all dribble at initiation and termination of the nebulized liquid discharge through said spray nozzle.

Claim 23

The spray device of claim 20 wherein said housing has a valve seat in an end wall of said chamber and said inlet valve comprises a valve member adapted to be sealably received on said valve seat, and wherein said actuator means comprises a finger extending from said piston and adapted to engage and move said valve member to said open position of said inlet check valve when said piston reaches said second position thereof.

Claim 24

The spray device of claim 21 further including means yieldably urging said valve member into sealing engagement with said valve seat.

Claim 25

The spray device of claim 21 wherein said check valve yieldable urging means comprises cage means carried by said housing yieldably urging said valve member into engagement with said valve seat.

Claim 26

The spray device of claim 21 in which said valve means also comprises a spring extending between said piston and said valve member yieldably urging said valve member into engagement with said valve seat.

Claim 27

The spray device of claim 21 in which said housing comprises a slightly flexible and resilient plastic material and said valve means comprises a plurality of projections homogeneously integral with said housing, said projections yieldably urging said valve member into engagement with said valve seat.

Claim 28

A spray device with a manually actuated pump for nebulizing a liquid comprising a housing having a pump chamber therein, a first passageway communicating with said chamber and adapted to be connected to a source of liquid to be nebulized, a manually actuated piston slidably received in said chamber and adapted to pressurize a liquid in said chamber when manually moved in a dispensing stroke from a first position to a second position in said chamber, a second passageway communicating with said chamber and with a spray orifice, and a valve associated with said second passageway and adapted to close said second passageway to communication with said orifice when said piston is in said first position and to automatically open said second passageway when said piston has pressurized a liquid in said chamber, said piston having a passage extending generally longitudinally therethrough forming part of said second passageway, said valve having a valve stem carried by said piston and movable relative to said piston between open and closed flow controlling positions relative to said second passageway, said valve stem having a passage therein forming part of said second passageway and having an inlet port connecting said stem passage with said piston passage in the open position of said valve stem, sealing means carried by said piston and adapted to seal said inlet port when said valve stem is in said closed position, and biasing means interposed between said valve stem and said piston to yieldably urge said valve stem into said closed position, said stem being oriented to move from said closed to said open position thereof in the direction of travel of said piston on its dispensing stroke, whereby substantially all dribble at the beginning of the nebulized liquid discharge is eliminated.

Claim 29

A spray device with a manually actuated pump for nebulizing a liquid comprising a housing having a pump chamber therein, a first passageway communicating with said chamber and adapted to be connected to a source of liquid to be nebulized, a manually actuated piston slidably received in said chamber and adapted to pressurize a liquid in said chamber when manually moved in a dispensing stroke from a first position to a second position in said chamber, a second passageway communicating with said chamber and with a spray orifice, and a valve associated with said second passageway and adapted to close said second passageway to communication with said orifice when said piston is in said first position and to automatically open said second passageway when said piston has pressurized a liquid in said chamber, said piston having a passage extending generally longitudinally therethrough forming part of said second passageway, said valve having a valve stem carried by said piston and movable relative to said piston between open and closed flow controlling positions relative to said second passageway, said valve stem having a passage therein forming part of said second passageway and having an inlet port connecting said stem passage with said piston passage in the open position of said valve stem, sealing means carried by said piston and adapted to seal said inlet port when said valve stem is in said closed position, and biasing means interposed between said valve stem and said piston to yieldably urge said valve stem into said closed position, said stem being oriented to move from said closed to said open position thereof in the direction of travel of said piston on its dispensing stroke, whereby substantially all dribble at the beginning of the nebulized liquid discharge is eliminated.

Claim 30

The spray device of claim 26 further including detent means engageable with said valve stem to yieldably resist movement of said valve stEm from said closed toward said open position, said detent means yielding to release said valve stem for movement to said open position upon application for a predetermined force thereto tending to move said valve stem toward said open position to thereby cause a snap acting opening motion of said valve stem to place said inlet port in communication with said second passage, said force being transmitted through said detent means to said piston to cause pressurization of liquid in said chamber before said detent means yields to release said valve stem.

Claim 31

The spray device of claim 27 wherein said means yieldably urging said valve stem into said closed position comprises a coil spring encircling said valve stem, said coil spring having a convolution thereof formed with a chordal portion adapted to slidably contact a side of said valve stem, said valve stem having a shoulder engageable with said chordal portion when said valve stem is in said closed position, said shoulder and said chordal portion having surfaces adapted to develop upon interengagement thereof a radially outwardly directed force on said chordal portion in response to a force exerted on said valve stem to thereby cam said chordal portion into disengagement with said shoulder to effect sudden release of said valve stem so that it is rapidly propelled to the open position thereof.