Spray fitment for squeeze bottles

Claim 2

A spray discharge fitment for fluid tight association with the outlet opening of a squeeze bottle containing a product to be dispensed: said fitment defining a mixing chamber therewithin and separate product and air discharge passages for establishing communication between said chamber and the interior of the squeeze bottle to which the fitment is applied; said fitment including a resiliently flexible diaphragm having an outer side thereof exposed to atmospheric pressure and an inner side thereof exposed to the pressure within said mixing chamber; said diaphragm being formed with a discharge orifice therethrough to establish communication between said mixing chamber and the atmosphere; a valve member positioned in said mixing chamber for seating and unseating in said orifice in response to flexing of the diaphragm. said diaphragm normally being biased toward a closed position in which said valve member is seated in said orifice when the pressure within said mixing chamber is equal to or below atmospheric pressure, and being deflected to an open position in which said member is unseated from the orifice when the pressure within said mixing chamber exceeds atmospheric pressure.

Claim 3

A discharge fitment as defined in claim 1, in which said fitment includes an outwardly projecting wall encircling said mixing chamber and having a free outer end edge positioned to sealingly engage said diaphragm, said air discharge passage being disposed outside of said wall and communicating with said chamber over said end edge in the open position of the diaphragm, and being isolated by said wall from the said chamber in the closed position of the diaphragm.

Claim 4

A discharge fitment as defined in claim 2, in which said mixing chamber and said wall are of annular shape concentric to said valve member and said orifice.

Claim 5

A discharge fitment as defined in claim 2, in which said mixing chamber and said wall are of annular configuration concentric to said valve member and said orifice, and a portion of said air discharge passage comprises an air chamber encircling said wall so that in the open position of the diaphragm, air is directed radially inwardly toward said orifice from all sides, between said diaphragm and said end edge of the wall.

Claim 6

A discharge fitment as defined in claim 2, in which said mixing chamber includes an inner end wall spaced axially from said diaphragm, said valve member being affixed to said inner end wall and projecting outwardly toward said diaphragm, said product discharge passage including a portion opening through said inner end wall tangentially to said chamber.

Claim 7

A spray discharge fitment for a squeeze bottle; said fitment comprising an annular plug for fluid tight reception in the neck opening of a squeeze bottle; a generally cylindrical valve housing supported coaxially within said plug to define an annular air inlet port from the atmosphere to the interior of a squeeze bottle tO which said fitment is applied; an annular air inlet valve carried by said housing assembly and means resiliently urging said inlet valve outwardly sealing engagement with an inwardly directed valve seat on said plug; means within said valve housing defining an annular spin chamber adapted for operative communication with the interior of a container to which the fitment is applied; there being a resiliently flexible diaphragm forming the outer wall of said spin chamber and having a discharge orifice therethrough from the spin chamber to the atmosphere; a central post being coaxially disposed in said spin chamber and having a free outer end positioned for sealing reception in said orifice; and means resiliently biasing said diaphragm toward a normal closed position wherein said port is sealingly received in said orifice, said diaphragm being yieldable in response to pressure within said spin chamber to open said orifice.

Claim 8

A spray discharge fitment for a squeeze bottle; said fitment comprising an annular plug for fluid tight reception in the neck opening of a squeeze bottle; a generally cylindrical valve housing supported coaxially within said plug to define an annular air inlet port from the atmosphere to the interior of a squeeze bottle tO which said fitment is applied; an annular air inlet valve carried by said housing assembly and means resiliently urging said inlet valve outwardly sealing engagement with an inwardly directed valve seat on said plug; means within said valve housing defining an annular spin chamber adapted for operative communication with the interior of a container to which the fitment is applied; there being a resiliently flexible diaphragm forming the outer wall of said spin chamber and having a discharge orifice therethrough from the spin chamber to the atmosphere; a central post being coaxially disposed in said spin chamber and having a free outer end positioned for sealing reception in said orifice; and means resiliently biasing said diaphragm toward a normal closed position wherein said port is sealingly received in said orifice, said diaphragm being yieldable in response to pressure within said spin chamber to open said orifice.

Claim 9

A discharge fitment as defined in claim 1, including an outwardly projecting wall encircling said spin chamber, said wall having a free edge directed axially toward said diaphragm and functioning as an annular valve seat positioned for sealing engagement by said discharge valve in the normal closed position of the latter; and means defining an air chamber encircling said wall and communicating with the interior of the squeeze bottle.

Claim 10

A spray discharge fitment for a squeeze bottle comprising: an annular plug for sealing reception in the outlet opening of a squeeze bottle containing a product to be dispensed; a downwardly opening hollow cylindrical valve housing supported within said plug in radially spaced relation thereto to define therewith an annular air inlet port between the atmosphere and the interior of the squeeze bottle; said annular plug being formed with an annular downwardly directed valve seat concentric thereto; a cylindrical valve core secured within said valve housing and having a portion projecting downwardly therefrom; an air inlet valve carried by said portion and projecting radially outwardly therefrom for cooperation with said valve seat in response to changes in pressure within said squeeze bottle; an axially flexible diaphragm extending across the upper end of said valve housing and formed with a central discharge orifice therethrough; said valve core being spaced axially below said diaphragm within the housing to define a mixing chamber between said diaphragm and said valve core; a valve member projecting upwardly through said mixing chamber from the valve core in position for sealing reception in said orifice in a normally downwardly flexed closed position of said diaphragm; said diaphragm being deflectible upwardly to an open position by super atmospheric pressure on its lower surface within said mixing chamber; there being a product passage opening downwardly through said core from the mixing chamber, and a dip tube constituting a downward continuation of said passage; said housing and core jointly defining an air discharge passage separate from the product passage opening downwardly through said fitment from the mixing chamber.

Claim 11

A spray discharge fitment for a squeeze bottle comprising: an annular plug for sealing reception in the outlet opening of a squeeze bottle containing a product to be dispensed; a downwardly opening hollow cylindrical valve housing supported within said plug in radially spaced relation thereto to define therewith an annular air inlet port between the atmosphere and the interior of the squeeze bottle; said annular plug being formed with an annular downwardly directed valve seat concentric thereto; a cylindrical valve core secured within said valve housing and having a portion projecting downwardly therefrom; an air inlet valve carried by said portion and projecting radially outwardly therefrom for cooperation with said valve seat in response to changes in pressure within said squeeze bottle; an axially flexible diaphragm extending across the upper end of said valve housing and formed with a central discharge orifice therethrough; said valve core being spaced axially below said diaphragm within the housing to define a mixing chamber between said diaphragm and said valve core; a valve member projecting upwardly through said mixing chamber from the valve core in position for sealing reception in said orifice in a normally downwardly flexed closed position of said diaphragm; said diaphragm being deflectible upwardly to an open position by super atmospheric pressure on its lower surface within said mixing chamber; there being a product passage opening downwardly through said core from the mixing chamber, and a dip tube constituting a downward continuation of said passage; said housing and core jointly defining an air discharge passage separate from the product passage opening downwardly through said fitment from the mixing chamber.

Claim 12

A spray discharge fitment as defined in claim 8 in which said core includes an upwardly projecting wall encircling said mixing chamber; and having a free upper end edge for sealing engagement with the diaphragm in the closed position of the latter; said air discharge passage being outside of said wall and thereby isolated from the mixing chamber in the closed position of the diaphragm; but communicating with the mixing chamber over the upper edge of said wall in the open position of the diaphragm in which said diaphragm is disengaged from the said encircling wall.

Claim 13

A spray discharge fitment as defined in claim 9, in which said mixing chamber and said wall are of annular configuration concentric to said valve member and said orifice; and a portion of said air discharge passage comprises an air distribution chamber encircling said wall so that, in the open positIon of the diaphragm, air flows radially inwardly across the mixing chamber from all sides toward the orifice.

Claim 14

A spray discharge fitment as defined in claim 9, in which said diaphragm includes an integral resiliently flexible annular seal projecting downwardly from its lower surface concentrically to said annular wall, for conforming sealing engagement therewith throughout a limited range of relative axial movement between said wall and said seal.

Claim 15

A spray discharge fitment as defined in claim 9, in which concentric portions of said diaphragm are in axial registry respectively with said mixing chamber and with said air distribution chamber, said diaphragm being formed with an annular weakened zone between said concentric portions to permit relative axial flexing of said concentric portions with respect to each other.

Claim 16

A spray discharge fitment as defined in claim 12, in which said concentric portion of the diaphragm in axial registry with the air distribution chamber is encircled by and connected to the valve housing along a weakened zone for facilitating axial flexing of said last mentioned portion.