Abstract:
An aspiration-type sprayer assembly adapted for being coupled to both the end of the hose and to a chemical container has a housing including a carrier liquid inlet passage, a chemical liquid inlet passage and a discharge passage. The cylindrical rotatable valve within the housing has a carrier liquid duct and a chemical liquid duct opening into the carrier duct for interconnecting the inlet passage in a first rotative position of the valve, and the valve is capable of closing the inlet passages in a second rotative position of the valve. The rotatable nozzle versus the discharge in selective directions, and the assembly is capable of being manipulated by the provision of a handle grip. An anti-siphon assembly is provided at the coupling between the sprayer housing and the water hose end to avoid pressure and back flow from the sprayer. And chemical/water mix can be exchanged substituting the various tube retainers having different size inlet ports.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to an aspiration-type dispenser adapted to be connected to a source of pressurized carrier liquid, such as a garden hose, and further adapted to be coupled to a container of chemical liquid to be diluted upon aspiration. 
     Aspiration-type dispensers of the general type aforedescribed are known, for example, from U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,383,603, 5,320,288 and 5,100,059. In each of these patents a cylindrical valve is disclosed for controlling the flow of the carrier liquid except that aspiration takes place generally downstream thereof thereby requiring an elongated and more complex structure which includes additional ducting and passageways. Also, parts and details required for these known sprayers add to the cost of manufacturing and assembly, which is undesirable. Moreover, the known aspiration-type sprayers are not user friendly and have limited features which have stimulated the need for many improvements. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a sprayer assembly for connection to a container of a liquid chemical to be diluted upon aspiration by a pressurized stream of carrier liquid, which has a minimum number of parts, is compact and economical yet highly efficient in aspirating the chemical liquid in a most convenient and user friendly manner. 
     Another object of this invention is to provide such an assembly which comprises a housing having a carrier liquid and chemical liquid inlet passages and a discharge passage. A rotatable valve located within the housing has a carrier liquid duct and an intersecting chemical liquid duct interconnecting the inlet passages in a first rotative position of the valve, and the inlet passage is closed by the valve in a second rotative position thereof. 
     Further object of the present invention is to provide such an assembly wherein the housing has couplings for connection to a source of the carrier liquid and to a container of the liquid chemical, the housing having an integral handle to be grasped by the user for holding the sprayer assembly when spraying, the handle extending outwardly from an upper wall of the housing and having a gripper bar for hand holding. 
     Another object is to provide such an assembly wherein a diverter is mounted downstream of the discharge end of the housing, the diverter having a wall sloping in one direction lying along the path of the discharge passage for deflecting the liquid flow from the discharge passage to effect a flat spray pattern in that one direction. 
     Another object is to provide an assembly with such a diverter in the form of a rotatable nozzle having a pair of spaced sloping walls lying in the path of the discharge passage upon nozzle rotation for selectively deflecting the liquid flow in one or another direction. 
     A still further object of this invention is to provide such a sprayer assembly wherein the housing has a support sleeve coaxial with its chemical inlet opening, a dip tube retainer being coupled to such sleeve, the retainer having a cylindrical wall for suspending the dip tube extending into the chemical container, and the retainer having a transverse wall with an inlet orifice coaxial with the chemical inlet opening, the orifice being of a predetermined size to effect a given chemical liquid-to-carrier liquid ratio. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide such an assembly wherein carrier liquid inlet and chemical liquid inlet passages extend into a cylindrical bore of the housing and the discharge passage extends from the bore which extends transversely to the passages, the cylindrical valve is rotatable within the bore about its central axis thereof between on and off positions, the valve having annular seal rings at opposite ends in engagement with the bore, and the entirety of the valve being of an injection molded polymeric material wherein the seal rings are of more softer and more compliant material compared to that of the valve material. 
     A still further object of this invention is to provide such an assembly wherein the coupler for connecting the housing to the liquid carrier source includes an anti-siphon means which permits only one-way flow of carrier liquid in a downstream direction of the housing via through the carrier liquid inlet passage. 
     Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparently from the following detailed description of the invention when taken into conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a sprayer assembly according to the invention shown coupled to the end of a hose; 
     FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing a structural detail end section, the valve shown in an open position with the spray diverted upwardly; 
     FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2, the valve shown in its on position with the spray diverted downwardly; 
     FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2, the valve shown in its on position with the spray being undiverted; 
     FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line  4 — 4  of FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing the valve in a rotative position with the water carrier inlet open and the chemical inlet closed in a rinse position; 
     FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 2 with the valve rotated to its off position; 
     FIG. 7 is an expanded perspective view of an anti-siphon assembly of the invention at the carrier inlet coupler end which is shown assembled together in FIGS. 2 to  6 ; 
     FIG. 8 is an enlarged perspective view of the cylindrical valve according to the invention in one rotative position; 
     FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8 of the valve shown in another rotative position; 
     FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the dip tube retainer of the invention; and 
     FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the diverter nozzle of the invention shown in FIGS. 2 to  6 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Turning now to the drawings wherein like reference characters refer to like and corresponding parts throughout the several views, the sprayer assembly according to the invention is generally designated  20 , the assembly having a housing  21  coupled to both container C (FIG. 2) of liquid chemical, and coupled to a source of pressurized carrier liquid such as via the end of a garden hose  22  which extends from a standard water faucet (not shown). 
     Applied to one side of the housing indicia is ON, OFF, or RINSE to identify the three positions of the sprayer to be described in more detail hereinafter. 
     As more clearly shown in FIG. 2, the housing has a carrier liquid inlet passage  23  and a chemical liquid inlet passage or opening  24  lying along perpendicular axes and extending into a transverse bore  25  of the housing. A discharge passage  26  extends from the transverse bore of the housing and may be coaxial with or parallel and offset to carrier liquid inlet passage  23 . 
     Rotatably mounted within the bore is a cylindrical valve  27  shown in perspective in FIGS. 8 and 9. The valve has a cylindrical outer wall  28  and may be closed at one end by an end wall  29 . A pair of spring legs  31 , extending outwardly of wall  29 , are adapted to extend through a central opening of a confronting wall  33  of the housing (FIG.  9 ), the legs having barbs  32  snapping behind an edge of the central opening to retain the cylindrical valve in place within the housing. 
     The valve has, as more clearly shown in FIGS. 2 to  6 , a carrier liquid inlet duct  34  extending along the diameter of the cylindrical valve, and a radially extending chemical liquid duct  35  in open communication with duct  34 . And the cylindrical valve has a turning tab  36  or the like (FIGS. 8,  9 ) to be grasped by the operator for rotating the valve about its central axis, and an indicator bar  37  or the like extending outwardly of its external wall  28 . Extending through wall  28  of the valve is a vent port  38  which, in one of the open positions of FIG. 2, is in alignment with a corresponding vent port  39  provided in the housing. 
     A dip tube  41  is coupled to the housing and extends into the liquid of container C to be aspirated. 
     The cylindrical valve is shown in FIGS. 1,  2  and  3  in its ON position in that it has been rotated manually into that position as confirmed by indicator  37  lying adjacent the ON marking on the housing. In that position a detent  42  (FIG. 1) may be provided on the housing for arresting further counterclockwise rotation of the cylindrical valve from that shown in FIGS. 1 to  3 . 
     In the ON position, as clearly shown in FIG. 2, the carrier liquid, i.e., water under pressure from the open garden hose, passes through inlet passage  23  and as the liquid stream passes over the inner opening of duct  35  the chemical product is aspirated or drawn from the container up the dip tube and into the carrier liquid stream so as to be thereby diluted as the water and chemical mix is discharged through the assembly via discharge passage  26 . 
     Referring to FIG. 6, valve  27  is shown rotated clockwise until the indicator bar stops at position  37 B shown in FIG. 1, at which it abuts against a stop element  43  on the housing in an OFF position. Ducts  34 ,  35  are thus rotated completely out of alignment with the passages in the housing such that an elastomeric section  44  on the outer periphery of the cylindrical valve (FIG. 8) to be described in more detail hereinafter, overlies carrier liquid inlet passage  23  for sealing the same tightly closed. Also in the FIG. 6 position, an external seal portion  45  (FIG. 9) on the periphery of valve  27  seals tightly over chemical liquid inlet passage  24 . 
     Referring now to FIG. 5, the outer surface of cylindrical wall  28  of the valve is notched as to provide a depression  48  which opens into upstream end  46  of duct  34  (see also FIG.  8 ). Similarly, the outer surface of cylindrical wall  28  of the valve is notched to form a depression  49  (FIG. 9) which communicates with downstream end  47  of duct  34  when the valve is rotated into its FIG. 5 position as confirmed by the position  37 A of indicator bar  37  shown in FIG.  1 . The assembly has been rotated into its RINSE position as indicated by the indicia R in FIG.  1 . In such position, seal portion  45  on the outer periphery of the valve overlies chemical liquid inlet passage  24  in tight sealing relationship for sealing it closed. However, duct  34  is in open communication with carrier liquid inlet passage  23  and with discharge passage  26  via their respective depressions  48  and  49 . The assembly may therefore be rinsed for cleansing the assembly prior to attaching a container of another chemical to this assembly if desired. Moreover, the operator can in the rinse R position simply spray or apply a stream of liquid to the plants or grass in the garden without the need to uncouple the assembly from the hose end. 
     In accordance with another feature of the invention, the sprayer assembly can be conveniently, comfortably and securely held by the hand of the operator during use by the provision of a handle  51  integrally formed with housing  21  and extending upwardly from an upper wall thereof. The handle has a gripper bar  52  which may be contoured on its underside to provide a finger rest indentation  53  and a contour  54  along its lower edge. The gripper bar extends in an upstream direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of housing  21 . 
     Yet another feature of the invention is the provision of a diverter for deflecting the stream of liquid from the discharge passage in the form of a flat spray dispersed over a wide area. A rotatable nozzle  55  is mounted at the downstream end of the housing, as shown in FIGS. 1 to  6  and in more detail in FIG.  11 . The nozzle has a pair of spaced apart deflector plates  56 ,  57 , and the nozzle when mounted in place has its central axis offset from the axis of discharge passage  26 . 
     In the manually rotated position of the nozzle shown in FIGS. 2 and 11, deflector plate  56  is positioned such that its inner surface  58  is in the path of the liquid flow through the discharge passage such that the liquid is thereby deflected in an upward direction. 
     On rotation of the nozzle through 180° shown in FIG. 3, deflector plate  57  is positioned such that its outer surface  59  lies in the path of the flow of liquid through the discharge passage, thereby diverting the flow in a downward direction as shown. In the FIG. 3 position, the valve  27  is in the same rotative ON position as in FIG.  2 . 
     In each of the diverted spray up or spray down positions of FIGS. 2 and 3, the stream of liquid flowing through the discharge passage forms flat sprays over a wide area. To enhance the dispersion and to create a spray of bubbles surfaces  58  and  59  may be roughened as shown in some known manner. 
     In the FIG. 4 position with the valve likewise in an ON position, rotatable nozzle  55  is rotated such that neither of surfaces  58  or  59  of the deflector plates is in the path of the flow of liquid through discharge passage  26 . The liquid flow is thus not deflected but instead emerges as a stream as shown. 
     Likewise in the RINSE position of FIG. 5, nozzle  55  is shown rotated to the same position as in FIG. 4 in which neither of surfaces  58  or  59  of the deflector plates is in the path of the discharge passage. Thus in the RINSE position the flow of liquid emerges as a stream from the discharge passage. 
     It can be seen that in the ON positions of FIGS. 2,  3  and  4 , vent ports  38  and  39  are aligned for venting the interior of the container to atmosphere via the open end of the cylindrical valve as shown in FIG.  4 A. However, in the RINSE position of FIG.  5  and in the OFF position of FIG. 6, vent port  38  in the valve and vent port  39  in the housing are misaligned to thereby close the vent path to avoid leakage of chemical from the container in the OFF position if the assembly is placed on its side. 
     When spraying chemicals in the lawn or garden, such as pesticides and the like, the concern arises that chemical could be drawn into the water supply which is not only undesirable but potentially hazardous. To avoid this potential problem an anti-siphon assembly generally designated  61  in FIG. 7 has been devised. Referring to FIGS. 2 to  6 , housing  21  is coupled to hose end  22  (FIG. 1) by the provision of the standard internally threaded coupler  62  having an inwardly directed flange  63  in engagement with an external snap bead  64  at the distal end of conduit  65  which together with the inlet port leading into the bore  25  of the housing, defines the carrier liquid inlet passage. Assembly  61  includes a valve disc  66 , which may be of elastomeric material, the disc having a central cruciform opening  67  which defines a one-way valve therethrough. The assembly further comprises a flow regulator  68  having a plurality of carrier liquid inlet openings  69  in a circular array, the diameter of the circle exceeding the size of the opening  67  such that the opening abuts against an imperforate inner portion  71  of the regulator. A standard hose washer  72  is located upstream of the flow regulator, and a cylindrical seal  73  is mounted within conduit  65  on the downstream side of valve disc  66 . Seal  73  is resilient and has a seal ring  74  in sealing engagement with valve disc at a diametral location outwardly of openings  69 . 
     Cylindrical seal  73  at its upstream face has a plurality of notches  75  opening into cutout sections  76  located in the outer surface of the cylindrical seal. 
     In operation, the carrier liquid through hose  22  inlets openings  69 , expanding the central portion of disc valve  66  permitting downstream flow through inner sleeve  77  of seal  73 . Any flow in an upstream direction is blocked as the central valve area of disc  66  seats tightly against imperforate center section  71  of flow regulator  68 . Also upon creation of any back pressure the same is relieved through notches  75  of cylindrical seal  73  and escapes in a downstream direction via cutouts  76  and through a relief hole  80  provided in the housing  21  (see FIG.  3 ). 
     Housing  21  is likewise coupled to liquid chemical container C via a standard internally threaded coupling  78  as an inner flange thereof engages a groove in end collar  79  of the housing. Disc seal  81  is disposed between collar  79  and the upper end of the container neck. The seal may have a non-circular central opening, such as rectangular, surrounding sleeve  82  which depends from housing  21  in coaxial alignment with liquid inlet passage  24 . The non-circular opening in disc seal  81  thereby defines a plurality of openings establishing communication between vent ports  38 ,  39  and the interior of the container. 
     It is desirable to provide, unlike that found in the prior art, for a variety of chemical/water ratios depending on the garden/lawn conditions to be treated. A higher chemical-to-water ratio may be more desirable for treatment during different times of the year compared to a lower chemical-to-water ratio. Such a mix is made possible by the invention by the provision of a dip tube retainer  83  shown in each of the drawing FIGS. 2 to  6  and in more detail in FIG.  10 . The dip tube retainer is in the form of an elongated cylinder  84  telescoped within sleeve  82 , and has a spaced outer sleeve  85  at the lower end of the cylinder which defines an annular groove in which the lower end of sleeve  82  is received for snugly and tightly securing the tube retainer to sleeve  82  of the housing. 
     Cylinder  84  of the tube retainer has an upper end wall  86  containing an inlet port  87  coaxial with inlet passage  24 . Thus in an open position of the valve the chemical is aspirated up the dip tube and into the liquid carrier stream via inlet ports  87  and  24  and duct  35 . A given chemical-to-water ratio can be determined by the size of inlet port  87  in the inner wall of the dip tube retainer. For a smaller chemical/water ratio a dip tube retainer having a smaller diameter inlet port  87  will be made available giving instruction to the user to simply replace one for the other. Of course should a larger chemical/water ratio is desired, a dip tube retainer having a larger diameter inlet port  87  will be made available to the user with instructions to replace that tube retainer. 
     Valve  27  is co-injection molded whereby a first material of relatively hard plastic forms the basic valve which includes its cylindrical outer wall, closed end wall, spring legs  31 , turning tab  36  and indicator bar  37 . Annular seal rings  88 ,  89  are formed adjacent opposite ends of cylindrical outer wall  28  of the valve for sealing engagement with the confronting wall of bore  25  of the housing. And, seal portions  44  and  45  of the outer periphery of the valve wall, together with seal rings  88  and  89  are formed of a slightly softer plastic material compared to that of the end portion of the valve during the co-injection process. Channels  91  and  92  are formed in the outer periphery of the valve cylindrical wall for connecting seals  88 ,  89 , seal portion  44  and seal portion  45  together. Thus during the co-injection process, the seals and connecting channels are formed of soft-plastic material utilizing a known co-injection process for this purpose. This avoids the time consuming and relatively more costly process of formulating cylindrical valves such as this with end seals and the like requiring use of a different material utilizing a separate process and requiring a sub-assembly process. 
     From the foregoing, it can be seen that a hose end trigger sprayer has been devised with a variety of distinctive features which simplify the operation, molding and assembly rendering the assembly according to the invention economical and easy to use yet highly efficient for outdoor garden and yard spray. The sprayer housing is easily handled by the operator by simply grasping the single handle bar thereby avoiding contact with the chemical/liquid mix being discharged. The manually rotatable nozzle diverts the spray forming a flat spray pattern upwardly or downwardly without the need for changing the attitude of the end held assembly. The nozzle likewise facilitates a rinsing of the control valve which permits a stream discharge with no flat pattern. 
     The replaceable dip tube retainer facilitates changing the chemical/water mix depending on the needs of the user. And the anti-siphon assembly provides for a unique and simple solution to prevent flow of chemical into the water system and to avoid the creation of any back pressure problems during operation. Moreover the cylindrical valve may be produced by co-injection of different materials, one of which is softer for providing integral seal rings adjacent opposing ends of the valve. 
     Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are made possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.