Abstract:
A spraying device that includes a handle having a hollow inner cavity and a body that has an interior void for receiving a container containing liquid. A pump is disposed within the interior void of the body, and a motor is disposed within the interior void of the body for operating the pump. A spray nozzle for dispensing the liquid contained within the container is disposed on the exterior of the body. The spraying device optionally includes a hood over the spray nozzle for limiting over spray.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATION 
       [0001]    The current application claims the benefit of the earlier priority filing date of the provisional application, Ser. No. 61/178,109, that was filed on May 14, 2009. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates generally to a spraying device and more generally relates to a herbicide spraying device that concentrates the spray of herbicide on the desired plant or weed, resulting in a concentrated spray area and the use of less herbicide than with a commonly utilized spraying device. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Sprayers have been used for many years to deliver herbicide to a plant or a weed. These sprayers are able to spray large swatches of plants or weeds in order to coat them with the herbicide. Unfortunately, these spraying devices spray large amounts of herbicide that go unused, or worse, contact plants or grasses that are not intended to be sprayed. These spraying devices waste large amounts of herbicides, resulting in an increase in the amount of herbicide that need to be purchased. On the other hand, a herbicide may only be intended for spraying an intended weed, but because of the total inaccuracy of the spraying device, an expensive plant is unintentionally coated with the herbicide, resulting in the death of the plant. 
         [0004]    The spraying device disclosed in the present invention allows the spray of the herbicide to be concentrated. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    One embodiment of the present invention includes a handle and a body having an interior void for receiving a container containing liquid. A pump is disposed within the interior void of the right shell and the left shell. A motor is disposed within the interior void of the right shell and the left shell for operating the pump, and a spray nozzle for dispensing the liquid contained within the container. 
         [0006]    According to another embodiment of the present invention, a spraying device that includes a switch for activating and deactivating the motor. 
         [0007]    According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, a spraying device that includes a hood positioned around the spray nozzle. 
         [0008]    According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, a spraying device that includes a handle having a hollow inner cavity and at least one battery positioned within the hollow inner cavity of the handle. 
         [0009]    According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, a spraying device that includes a container mount having inner threads for receiving a correspondingly threaded container and engaging the container mount and the container in a releasably engaged arrangement, wherein the container mount further includes a gasket disposed between the container and container mount. 
         [0010]    According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, a spraying device that includes a spray nozzle that is angled. 
         [0011]    According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, a spraying device that includes a spray tube engaged to the pump for transporting the liquid to the spray nozzle. 
         [0012]    According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, a spraying device that includes a handle having a hollow inner cavity, and a body comprising a right shell and a left shell that are releasably engaged to each other forming an interior void for receiving a container containing liquid. A pump is disposed within the interior void of the right shell and the left shell. A motor is disposed within the interior void of the right shell and the left shell for operating the pump. A power source is positioned within the hollow inner cavity of the handle for supplying power to the motor. A switch is disposed on the handle for activating and deactivating the supply of power to the motor, and a spray nozzle for dispensing the liquid contained within the container. 
         [0013]    According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, a spraying device that includes a switch that is engaged to an electrical wire and the electrical wire is engaged to the power source. 
         [0014]    According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, a spraying device that includes a handle having a hollow inner cavity, and a body comprising a right shell and a left shell that are releasably engaged to each other forming an interior void. A container mount is disposed within the interior void for receiving a container of liquid that comprises a gasket and an aspirator valve, wherein the gasket prevents leakage from the container when engaged to the container mount and the aspirator valve permits air to pass into the container. A pump is disposed within the interior void of the right shell and the left shell. A motor is disposed within the interior void of the right shell and the left shell for operating the pump, and at least one battery positioned within the hollow inner cavity of the handle for supplying power to the motor. A switch is disposed on the handle for activating and deactivating the supply of power to the motor. A spray nozzle for dispensing the liquid is contained within the container. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]    The present invention is illustrated and described herein with reference to the various drawings, in which like reference numbers denote like system components, respectively, and in which: 
           [0016]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the spraying device; 
           [0017]      FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the spraying device of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0018]      FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of the spraying device of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0019]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the spraying device in use; 
           [0020]      FIG. 5  is an exploded view of the electrical parts of the spraying device; 
           [0021]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the liquid handling parts of the spraying device; 
           [0022]      FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view of the check valves of the spraying device; 
           [0023]      FIG. 8  is another embodiment of the spraying device. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0024]    Referring now specifically to the drawings, an exemplary sprayer is illustrated in  FIG. 1  and is shown generally at reference numeral  10 . The sprayer  10  includes a handle  11 , a handle grip  12 , hood  15  with a spray nozzle  18  positioned inside, and a body comprising a right shell  16  and a left shell  17 . The hood  15  is held between the right shell  16  and a left shell  17  forming an interior void therein. A container  13  is positioned within the right shell  16  and left shell  17 . A handle  11  is fastened onto the right shell  16  and left shell  17  and is provided with a handle grip  12  on its upper end. The handle grip  12  is equipped with a switch  14  to activate the sprayer  10 . 
         [0025]    As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the hood  15  on the bottom portion of the sprayer  10  serves to protect neighboring plants from potentially harmful over spray. It is preferably made from a transparent material, such as plastic or the like. The spray nozzle is  18  positioned within the hood  15  and is mounted on a spray tube  29  which in turn is mounted on the exit side of a pump  26 . The pump  26  is a conventional vane type pump driven by an electric, low voltage motor  19 . The motor  19  is engaged to the pump  26  which in turn is attached to a container mount  28 . The container  13  is screwed into the container mount  28  with a gasket  27  between them for sealing purposes. The neck of the container  13  is threaded and the inner portion of the container mount  28  contains a correspondingly threaded portion. The container  13  and container mount  28  are releasably connected by the corresponding threaded portions. The container mount  28  contains an aspirator valve  24  for allowing air to pass into the container  13  in order to make up the space evacuated by the spent liquid. A sealing valve  25  in the container mount  28  prevents the liquid from leaking through the pump  26  when the unit is not in use. The connector tube  30  joins the container mount  28  and the pump  26  hydraulically. The container mount  28 , the pump  26 , and motor  19  are enclosed by the right shell  16  and the left shell  17 . The right shell  16  and left shell  17  are held together by several typical screw fasteners  53 . 
         [0026]    The handle  11  contains a hollow inner cavity for storing a power source. As illustrated herein, the power source consists of at least one battery  20 , but preferably more than one battery  20 , and more preferably at least four “C” or “D” batteries  20  arranged in series to supply the necessary power. The bottom of the lowest battery  20  makes electrical contact with the contact strip  31  when the battery lid  23  is closed and held by the closing screw  32 . The contact strip  31  is fastened to the battery lid  23  with strap screws  49 . The contact strip  31  in turn is electrically connected to the motor  19 . The upper end of the up most battery  20  is connected by a wire  22  with the switch  14  in the handle grip  12 . Depressing the switch  14  will connect one side of the battery  20  to the conductive handle  11  which in turn is electrically connected to the motor  19  and starts the motor  19  and the pump  26  for the spraying cycle. 
         [0027]    As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the spray nozzle  18  is positioned inside the hood  15 . It is hydraulically connected through the spray tube  29  with the exit side of the pump  26 . The input side of the pump  26  is hydraulically connected to the container mount  28  by the connector tube  30  for receiving the liquid from the container  13 . The pump  26  is mechanically coupled with the motor  19 . The batteries  20  are positioned within a hollow inner cavity of the handle  11  of the sprayer  10  and provide the necessary power to the motor  19 . The batteries  20  are electrically connected through the wire  22  with the switch  14  in the handle grip  12 . In an alternative embodiment, the batteries may be rechargeable. 
         [0028]    As illustrated in  FIG. 4 , the spray nozzle  18  is positioned inside the hood  15 . The hood  15  is designed to be positioned over a plant or weed prior to depressing the switch  14 , causing the liquid in the container  13  to disperse. Once the hood  15  is placed over the plant or weed, the switch  14  is depressed and the liquid contained in the container  13  is dispensed onto the plant or weed through the spray nozzle  18 . The hood  15  shields the spray against the outside in order to protect other plants. This hood  15  also economizes the usage of the sprayed liquid since all dispersed liquids are contained within the inside of the hood  15 . 
         [0029]    The electrical components as shown in  FIG. 5  illustrated the circuitry of the sprayer  10 . The upper most battery  20  conducts electricity through the battery spring  40 , the battery screw  45  and the battery nut  44  to the wire disc  43  with the attached wire  22 . The battery screw  45 , battery spring  40 , battery nut  44  and the wire disc  43  are insulated from the battery shell  21  by the insulator  41  and the upper insulator disk  54 . Switch  14  is a single-throw-normally-open type switch. One contact is connected to the wire  22  and the other to the switch ground  38 . Switch ground  38  is soldered to the electrically conductive handle  11 . The motor  19  is connected through the power lead  42  to the contact  36 . With the battery lid  23  installed, the contact strip  31  makes contact with contact  36 . The contact strip  31  is fastened to the battery lid  23  and is contacting the bottom of the lowest battery  20  with its other leg, hence, establishes electrical connection of the bottom of the battery  20  with the motor  19 . One side of the ground wire  37  is soldered onto the electrically conductive handle  11 . When the switch  14  is depressed, the contacts inside the switch  14  are closed. This energizes the motor  19  through an electrical connection between the top of the battery  20  through the wire  22 , the switch  14  and the switch ground  38  to the handle  11  and the ground wire  37 . The establishing of these two electrical connections engages the motor  19 . 
         [0030]    The liquid  50  is contained in the container  13 , as shown in  FIG. 6 . The liquid passes through the container mount  28 , the sealing valve  25 , the connector tube  30  to the input side of the pump  26 . The pump  26  pushes the liquid  50  out at the exit side, through the spray tube  29  and disperses it through the spray nozzle  18 . The spent liquid  50  creates a void in the container  13 , resulting in a partial vacuum. This vacuum sucks air from the outside through the air entrance  46  into the container  13 . This is indicated by the arrow for the make-up air  51 . 
         [0031]    The container mount  28  is illustrated in  FIG. 7 . The aspirator valve  24  and sealing valve  25  are two check-valves. The aspirator valve  24  is normally closed. When liquid is sucked out of the container  13  (not shown) during the spraying action, the created vacuum opens the aspirator valve  24  to let make-up air through the air entrance  46  and the aspirator valve  24  into the container  13  (not shown). The sealing valve  25  is normally closed and prevents the leakage of liquid from the container  13  (not shown) by way of the container exit  48  through the pump  26 . When the pump  26  is activated it creates a suction on its entrance side. This will open the sealing valve  25  and lets the liquid pass in the direction of the arrow  47  through the connector tube  30  to the pump  26  and out through the spray tube  29  to the spray nozzle  18  (not shown). 
         [0032]    In another alternative embodiment, the sprayer  110  contains an up-bent pesticide nozzle  152  to facilitate the application of pesticide underneath the leaves. The sprayer contains all internal and external components as described above with the exception of the hood  15 . The alternative embodiment does not contain a hood  15 , but does include an up-bent pesticide nozzle  152 . The alternative embodiment as illustrated in the cut-way of  FIG. 8  further includes a handle  111 , a handle grip  112 , a container  113 , a container mount  128 , a pump  126 , a motor  119 . 
         [0033]    The sprayer ( 10  and  110 ) and its component parts can be composed of any material suitable for its uses. Such material may include plastic, rubber, metal, wood, and combinations thereof. 
         [0034]    The liquid as described herein may be any liquid the user wishes to spray on or near a plant or weed. The sprayer ( 10  and  110 ) is particularly useful when the liquid is a herbicide or pesticide. 
         [0035]    Although the present invention has been illustrated and described herein with reference to preferred embodiments and specific examples thereof, it will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that other embodiments and examples may perform similar functions and/or achieve like results. All such equivalent embodiments and examples are within the spirit and scope of the present invention and are intended to be covered by the following claims.