Abstract:
A hand operated liquid dispenser has a simplified, in-line construction that reduces the number of component parts of the dispenser and thereby reduces the dispenser&#39;s manufacturing costs. The in-line construction of the liquid dispenser coaxially aligns a liquid discharge orifice, a liquid discharge passage, and a pump chamber of the dispenser. The construction provides a compact liquid dispenser that can be easily held in one hand by a user and manipulated by the fingers of the user&#39;s hand to pump liquid from a bottle attached to the liquid dispenser and dispense the liquid in a variety of different discharge patterns.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (1). Field of the Invention 
     The present invention pertains to a low cost construction of a hand held and hand operated liquid dispenser. In particular, the present invention pertains to a hand operated liquid dispenser of simplified construction that reduces the number of component parts of the dispenser and thereby reduces the dispenser&#39;s manufacturing cost. The dispenser&#39;s simplified construction provides a dispenser having a pump plunger that is manually reciprocated along a straight line of movement to operate a pump and dispense liquid from the dispenser. A liquid discharge passage extends through the pump plunger and communicates the pump with a liquid discharge orifice on the pump plunger. The liquid discharge orifice dispenses liquid from the liquid dispenser in a desired discharge pattern that is directed along the line of reciprocating movement of the pump plunger. 
     (2). Description of the Related Art 
     Hand held and hand operated liquid sprayers are well known in the liquid sprayer art. Typically known as trigger sprayers, these sprayers are commonly used to dispense household cleaning or cooking liquids in a stream or spray pattern or as a foam. A trigger sprayer is typically connected to a plastic bottle containing the liquid dispensed by the trigger sprayer. 
     A typical trigger sprayer is comprised of a sprayer housing that is connected to a neck of the bottle of liquid by a threaded connection or a bayonet-type connection. The sprayer housing is formed with a pump chamber, a vent chamber, a liquid discharge passage, and a liquid supply passage. The liquid discharge passage communicates the pump chamber with an outlet orifice of the trigger sprayer. The liquid discharge passage often contains a liquid spinner. The liquid supply passage communicates the pump chamber with a dip tube that extends into the liquid in the bottle when the trigger sprayer housing is attached to the bottle neck. 
     A pump piston is mounted in the pump chamber for reciprocating movement of the piston through the chamber. The pump piston moves in a direction out of the pump chamber to increase the interior volume of the pump chamber. This movement of the piston draws liquid through the dip tube and the liquid supply passage and into the pump chamber. The pump piston moves in a direction into the pump chamber to decrease the interior volume of the pump chamber. This movement of the piston pumps liquid from the pump chamber through the liquid discharge passage and out of the trigger sprayer. A spring is provided in the pump chamber for biasing the pump piston in the direction out of the pump chamber. 
     A vent piston is connected to the pump piston. The vent piston is received in the vent chamber for reciprocating movement between opened and closed positions of the vent piston in the vent chamber. In the opened position of the vent piston, the interior of the bottle attached to the trigger sprayer is allowed to vent through the vent chamber to the exterior environment of the trigger sprayer. In the closed position of the vent piston, the interior of the bottle is closed to the exterior environment preventing unintended leakage of the liquid contents of the bottle through the vent chamber to the trigger sprayer exterior environment. 
     A trigger is mounted on the sprayer housing by a pivot connection. The trigger is also connected to the pump piston and the vent piston. Repeating the sequence of manually squeezing the trigger toward the sprayer housing against the bias of the pump chamber spring, and then releasing the trigger oscillates or pivots the trigger about its pivot connection. The pivoting movement of the trigger reciprocates the pump piston in the pump chamber and reciprocates the vent piston in the vent chamber. 
     A pair of check valves or one-way valves are assembled in the sprayer housing to control the flow of liquid through the liquid supply passage, the pump chamber, and the liquid discharge passage. One of the check valves is positioned between the liquid supply passage and the pump chamber. This check valve controls the flow of liquid through the dip tube and the liquid supply passage to the pump chamber, and prevents the reverse flow of liquid. A second of the check valves is positioned between the pump chamber and the liquid discharge passage. This second check valve controls the flow of liquid from the pump chamber through the liquid discharge passage, and prevents the reverse flow of liquid. 
     A nozzle assembly having a liquid discharge orifice is assembled to the sprayer housing at the outlet of the liquid discharge passage. The liquid spinner in the liquid discharge passage has a liquid swirl chamber at an end of the spinner. The swirl chamber imparts a spin to the liquid pumped through the liquid discharge passage just prior to the liquid being discharged through the liquid discharge orifice of the nozzle. The nozzle of many trigger sprayers can adjust the pattern of liquid discharge from the trigger sprayer by rotating the nozzle relative to the sprayer housing. The nozzle can often be rotated between an off position where liquid discharge from the trigger sprayer is prevented, to a spray position where liquid is discharged from the trigger sprayer in a spray pattern, to a stream position where liquid is discharged from the trigger sprayer in a stream pattern, to a foam position where liquid is discharged from the trigger sprayer as a foam, or any combination of these liquid discharge patterns. 
     From the manual oscillating movement of the trigger on the sprayer housing, the pump piston is reciprocated in the pump chamber. This results in liquid being drawn from the bottle through the dip tube and past the first check valve to the pump chamber. The liquid is then pumped from the pump chamber past the second check valve and through the liquid discharge passage. The liquid passes through the liquid spinner and the liquid discharge orifice of the nozzle and is dispensed from the trigger sprayer. 
     The typical trigger sprayer described above has many separate component parts. The manufacturing of each of these separate component parts and their assembly into the trigger sprayer contributes to the overall manufacturing cost of the trigger sprayer. Because the typical trigger sprayer is manufactured and sold in very large numbers, even the slightest reduction in the manufacturing cost of a trigger sprayer design can result in a significant overall reduction in the cost of manufacturing large numbers of trigger sprayers. Thus, it is desirable to reduce the number of separate component parts of a manually operated liquid dispenser to reduce its manufacturing costs. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The manually operated liquid dispenser of the present invention reduces manufacturing costs by reducing the number of separate component parts that are assembled into the liquid dispenser. The liquid dispenser consists of only five component parts that are each constructed of a resilient plastic material. The liquid dispenser, being assembled from a reduced number of component parts than the conventional prior art trigger sprayer, results in reduced manufacturing costs for the liquid dispenser. In addition, the liquid dispenser has a novel, in-line construction in which several of the primary component parts of the liquid dispenser are aligned with a center axis of the dispenser pump chamber. 
     The liquid dispenser has a dispenser housing that contains a pump chamber, a vent chamber, and a liquid supply passage. The dispenser housing has an integral connector cap that attaches the liquid dispenser to a separate bottle containing a liquid to be dispensed by the dispenser. Unlike prior art trigger sprayers, the dispenser housing does not include a liquid discharge passage. The dispenser housing also differs from prior art trigger sprayer housings in that the front of the dispenser housing is left open, exposing an interior volume of the dispenser housing that surrounds the pump chamber and the vent chamber. In addition, the back or rearward end of the dispenser housing is provided with a hand engagement surface that is designed to comfortably fit a user&#39;s hand between the thumb and forefinger of the hand. 
     A flexible, resilient bulb is mounted to the pump chamber of the dispenser housing. The bulb can be flexed into the interior of the pump chamber to dispense liquid from the pump chamber, and the resiliency of the bulb pushes the bulb outwardly away from the pump chamber to draw liquid into the pump chamber. The bulb is formed with an integral, flexible tube input valve that controls the flow of liquid through the dip tube and the liquid supply passage into the pump chamber. The bulb is also formed with an integral, flexible tube output valve that controls the flow of liquid out of the pump chamber. Still further, the bulb is formed with an integral vent valve that seats over the vent chamber to prevent liquid in the bottle from leaking from the liquid dispenser through the vent chamber. The vent valve unseats from the vent chamber to vent the interior of the bottle when the bulb is flexed into the pump chamber of the dispenser housing. 
     A pump plunger is received in the front opening of the dispenser housing for reciprocating, telescoping movement of the pump plunger relative to the dispenser housing. The pump plunger has a finger engagement surface on a side of the liquid dispenser that is opposite the hand engagement surface of the dispenser housing. The finger engagement surface is positioned on the liquid dispenser where it will be engaged by the fingers of a user&#39;s hand holding the liquid dispenser. A liquid discharge passage extends through the pump plunger and communicates with the pump chamber through the output valve of the bulb. 
     A nozzle having a liquid discharge orifice is mounted on the pump plunger. The nozzle projects outwardly from the pump plunger finger engagement surface. The nozzle can be constructed as any conventional trigger sprayer nozzle, providing a combination of off, spray, stream and/or foam conditions to the liquid dispensed by the liquid dispenser. 
     A center axis of the nozzle liquid discharge orifice, a center axis of the pump plunger liquid discharge passage, and a center axis of the dispenser housing pump chamber are all coaxial. The center axes of the liquid discharge orifice, the liquid discharge passage, and the pump chamber also define a straight line of movement along which the pump plunger reciprocates relative to the dispenser housing when manually manipulated by a user&#39;s hand. 
     The resiliency of the bulb functions as a spring that resists the movement of the pump plunger along the line of movement into the interior volume of the dispenser housing. The resiliency of the bulb also moves the pump plunger away from the dispenser housing pump chamber when the finger engagement surface of the pump plunger is released by the user&#39;s hand. Thus, the bulb functioning as a spring that biases the pump plunger away from the dispenser housing eliminates the spring required by prior art trigger sprayers. In addition, the input valve, output valve and vent valve being integrally formed on the bulb reduces the number of component parts of the liquid dispenser of the invention from that of prior art trigger sprayers. This results in a reduction in the manufacturing cost of the liquid dispenser. 
     Furthermore, the pump plunger being easily manually reciprocated relative to the dispenser housing along the line of movement that is coaxial with the axes of liquid discharge orifice, the liquid discharge passage and the pump chamber results in a simplified construction of the liquid dispenser that is easily held and manually manipulated by a user&#39;s hand. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Further features of the invention are set forth in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention and in the drawing figures wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of the liquid dispenser of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a rear perspective view of the liquid dispenser; 
         FIG. 3  is a front perspective view from beneath the liquid dispenser; 
         FIG. 4  is a front view of the dissembled component parts of the liquid dispenser; 
         FIG. 5  is a rear view of the dissembled components parts of the liquid dispenser; and, 
         FIG. 6  is a side, sectioned view of the component parts of the liquid dispenser. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The in-line liquid dispenser  10  of the invention is constructed of only five separate component parts. Each of these component parts is constructed of a plastic material. The reduced number of component parts results in reduced manufacturing costs for the liquid dispenser. Several of the primary component parts of the liquid dispenser are positioned in a novel, in-line construction where the component parts are aligned with a center axis of the liquid dispenser pump chamber. This novel, in-line construction of the liquid dispenser also enables it to be constructed from a reduced number of component parts. 
     The liquid dispenser includes a dispenser housing  12  that is formed with an pump chamber  14 , a vent chamber  16 , a liquid supply passage  18 , and a connector cap  22 . Each of these structural features of the liquid dispenser are integrally molded as one piece with the dispenser housing  12 . 
     The connector cap  22  is provided with a bayonet-type connector  24  in its interior. The bayonet-type connector  24  is employed in removably attaching the liquid dispenser to the neck of a separate bottle containing a liquid to be dispensed by the liquid dispenser. Bayonet-type connectors are well-known in the prior art. As an alternative to the bayonet-type connector, the connector cap  22  could also be provided with internal screw threading designed to mate with screw threading on the bottle neck. 
     The pump chamber  14  is formed by a cylindrical wall  26  having a cylindrical interior surface and a center axis  28 . The back of the pump chamber  14  is closed by a rear wall  32 . The front of the pump chamber&#39;s cylindrical wall is left open. A plurality of posts  34  project outwardly from the forward edge of the pump chamber&#39;s cylindrical wall  26  as shown in  FIG. 4 . The posts  34  are employed in securing a resilient bulb to the pump chamber cylindrical wall, which will be described later. A small input port  36  passes through a portion of the pump chamber&#39;s cylindrical wall  26  and communicates the pump chamber  14  with the liquid supply passage  18 . 
     The liquid supply passage  18  has a cylindrical interior surface and a center axis  38 . As shown in  FIG. 6 , the liquid supply passage center axis  38  is oriented at an angle, specifically a right angle, relative to the pump chamber center axis  28 . The liquid supply passage  18  extends downwardly through the dispenser housing  12  from the pump chamber input port  36  through the bottom of the dispenser housing  12  inside the connector cap  22 . A small axial groove  42  is recessed into the interior surface of the liquid supply passage  18  and extends along the length of the passage. 
     A dip tube  44  is inserted into the liquid supply passage  18  and forms a part of the length of the liquid supply passage. The dip tube  44  does not obstruct the axial groove  42  in the interior surface of the liquid supply passage  18 . The dip tube  44  and liquid supply passage  18  communicate the interior of the pump chamber  14  through the pump chamber input port  36  with the liquid contents of a bottle attached to the liquid dispenser. 
     The vent chamber  16  is formed as a small cylindrical chamber having an interior passage  46  that communicates with the liquid supply passage  18  at one end and is open at its opposite end. The vent chamber is formed with a sealing surface  48  at its open end. The vent chamber interior passage  46  communicates with the interior of a bottle connected to the liquid dispenser through the axial groove  42  formed in the interior surface of the liquid supply passage  18 . 
     The front of the dispenser housing  12  has a large opening exposing an interior volume  52  of the dispenser housing that surrounds the pump chamber  14 , the vent chamber  16 , and the liquid supply passage  18 . The dispenser housing interior volume  52  is bounded by the connector cap  22  at the bottom, a top wall  54  of the dispenser housing at the top, and an opposite pair of side walls  56 ,  58  and a rear wall  62  of the dispenser housing. 
     As shown in the drawing figures, as the dispenser housing side walls  56 ,  58  extend upwardly from the connector cap  22  they taper inwardly toward each other and then taper outwardly away from each other to where they merge with the dispenser housing top wall  54 . This forms notches or recessed areas  64 ,  66  in the respective side walls  56 ,  58  just beneath the dispenser housing top wall  54 . These recessed areas  64 ,  66  in the dispenser housing side walls  56 ,  58  are provided to comfortably receive the thumb and forefinger of a user&#39;s hand holding the liquid dispenser. As the dispenser housing rear wall  62  extends upwardly from the connector cap  22  it curves gradually outwardly until it merges with the dispenser housing top wall  54  at the rear of the dispenser housing. The notches or recessed areas  64 ,  66  of the dispenser housing side walls and the area  68  of the dispenser housing rear wall  62  just beneath the top wall  54  form hand engagement surfaces. These hand engagement surfaces are designed to be received between the thumb and forefinger of a user&#39;s hand providing a comfortable grip on the dispenser housing  12  for the user&#39;s hand. In addition, the top wall  54  projecting outwardly over the recessed areas  64 ,  66  of the dispenser housing side walls and the rear wall portion  68  below the top wall  54  enables the top wall to rest comfortably on the thumb and forefinger of a user&#39;s hand holding the dispenser housing  12  to comfortably suspend the housing in the user&#39;s hand. 
     The liquid dispenser also comprises a pump plunger  72 . The pump plunger  72  has a pair of opposite side walls  74 ,  76 , a top wall  78 , and a bottom  82  that are dimensioned and shaped to be received and to slide in a telescoping movement inside the respective side walls  56 ,  58 , top wall  54  and above the connector cap  22  of the dispenser housing  12 . As best seen in  FIGS. 1 and 3 , the configurations of the pump plunger side walls  74 ,  76  closely match those of the respective dispenser housing side walls  56 ,  58  enabling the pump plunger  72  to move in a sliding, telescoping movement into and out of the dispenser housing interior volume  52  through the front opening of the dispenser housing. The close conformance between the pump plunger side walls  74 ,  76 , top wall  78 , and bottom wall  82  to the interior surfaces of the respective dispenser housing side walls  56 ,  58 , top wall  54  and the connector cap  22  causes the pump plunger  72  to reciprocate into and out of the dispenser housing interior volume  52  along a straight line of movement that is coaxial with the pump chamber center axis  28 . 
     As the two side walls  74 ,  76  of the pump plunger  72  extend forward, they curve toward each other and merge with each other forming a finger engagement surface  84  at the front of the pump plunger. The finger engagement surface  84  curves inwardly into the pump plunger  72  as it extends downwardly from the pump plunger top wall  78  and upwardly from the pump plunger bottom wall  82 . This causes the pump plunger top wall  78  and pump plunger bottom wall  82  to direct the fingers of a user&#39;s hand toward the center of the finger engagement surface  84 , thus preventing the fingers of the user&#39;s hand from unintentionally becoming disengaged from the engagement surface when the liquid dispenser is in use. The convex configuration of the finger engagement surface  84  between the pump plunger side walls  74 ,  76  comfortably fits the curved configuration of the fingers of a user&#39;s hand gripping the liquid dispenser. 
     The pump plunger  72  has a center tube  92  that extends through the interior of the pump plunger. An outer portion of the tube  94  projects outwardly from the pump plunger finger engagement surface  84 . The pump plunger tube  92  has a cylindrical interior surface  96  that defines a liquid discharge passage that passes through the length of the tube. The center tube liquid discharge passage has a center axis that is coaxial with the line of movement of the pump plunger  72  and is coaxial with the center axis  28  of the pump chamber  14 . A sealing post  98  is centered in the liquid discharge passage by a plurality of webs  102  that radiate outwardly from the post to the pump plunger tube interior surface  96 . The webs  102 , only one of which is visible in  FIG. 6 , are spatially arranged around the sealing post  98  and center the sealing post in the liquid discharge passage without obstructing the flow of liquid through the passage. A liquid spinner  104  projects in the downstream direction from the opposite end of the sealing post  98 . The liquid spinner  104  is formed with a swirl chamber in its distal end  106 . The construction of the liquid spinner and the swirl chambers is known in the art and is not described in detail. 
     A nozzle  112  is mounted for rotation on the outer portion  94  of the pump plunger center tube. The nozzle  112  has a liquid discharge orifice  114  that communicates with the liquid discharge passage defined by the interior surface  96  of the pump plunger center tube  92 . The nozzle orifice  114  has a center axis that is coaxial with the line of movement of the pump plunger  72  as well as the center axes of the pump plunger center tube  92  and the pump chamber  14 . The interior of the nozzle  112  is constructed in the same manner as known prior art nozzles to provide an off position of the nozzle on the pump plunger  72  where liquid discharge through the nozzle orifice  114  is prevented, a spray position of the nozzle where the liquid discharge is in a spray pattern, a stream position of the nozzle where the liquid discharge is in a stream pattern, and/or a foam position of the nozzle where the liquid is discharged as a foam. Nozzles of this type are known in the prior art and the nozzle  112  of the liquid dispenser can be of a known type that provides any desired combination of liquid discharge from the liquid dispenser as well as providing the off condition of the nozzle. 
     A bulb  120  is connected to the pump chamber  14  and the pump plunger center tube  92 . The bulb  120  has a plurality of holes  122  spatially arranged around the bulb. The holes  122  receive the posts  34  on the pump chamber wall  26  in attaching the bulbs  120  to the pump chamber  14 . The bulb  120  is constructed of a resilient, flexible plastic material and a cylindrical wall  124  of the bulb fits inside the interior surface of the pump chamber cylindrical wall  26 . 
     A tubular input valve  126  is integrally formed at the distal end of the bulb cylindrical wall  124 . As shown in  FIG. 6 , the tubular input valve  126  covers over the input port  36  of the pump chamber  14 . Thus, the tubular input valve  126  controls the flow of liquid from the liquid supply passage  18  into the pump chamber  14  by flexing away from the pump chamber input port  36 , and prevents the reverse flow of liquid from the pump chamber  14  to the liquid supply passage  18  by resiliently overlapping the pump chamber input port  36 . 
     A tubular section  128  of the bulb opposite the input valve  126  extends into the pump plunger center tube  92  and engages in a tight fit against the center tube interior surface  96 . The bulb tubular section  128  engaging against the pump plunger center tube interior surface  96  connects the pump plunger  72  to the dispenser housing  12  for reciprocating movement of the pump plunger relative to the dispenser housing. 
     A tubular output valve  132  is integrally formed on the distal end of the bulb tubular section  128 . The tubular output valve  132  engages in a sealing engagement around the sealing post  98  of the pump plunger center tube  92 . The tubular output valve  132  resiliently expands outwardly from the pump plunger sealing post  98  to allow a flow of liquid from the pump chamber  14  through the liquid discharge passage defined by the interior surface  96  of the pump plunger center tube, and resiliently collapses in engagement around the sealing post  98  to prevent a reverse flow of liquid. 
     The bulb  120  also has a vent valve  134  integrally formed on the bulb. The vent valve  134  has a configuration that causes the valve to seat against the vent chamber sealing surface  48  when the bulb  120  is in its at rest, extended position shown in  FIG. 6 . In this position of the vent valve  134 , leakage is prevented from passing through the liquid supply passage groove  42  and the vent chamber interior passage  46 . Flexing the bulb  120  into the pump chamber  14  removes the vent valve  134  from the vent chamber sealing surface  48 . When the vent valve  134  is removed from the vent chamber sealing surface  48 , the interior of the bottle connected to the liquid dispenser is vented through the vent chamber interior passage  46  and the liquid supply passage groove  42 . 
     In operation of the liquid dispenser, a user grips the dispenser housing at the side wall recessed areas  64 ,  66  between the thumb and forefinger of the user&#39;s hand. The fingers of the user&#39;s hand are curved over the finger engagement surface  84  of the pump plunger  72 . The finger engagement surface  84  can be gripped with the nozzle  112  positioned between adjacent fingers of the user&#39;s hand, or with the fingers of the user&#39;s hand engaging the finger engagement surface  84  above the nozzle  112 . Squeezing the pump plunger  72  into the dispenser housing  112  causes the plunger to move along the line of movement  32  into the interior volume  52  of the dispenser housing. The movement of the pump plunger  72  into the interior of the dispenser housing  12  causes the bulb  120  to resiliently flex into the interior of the pump chamber  14 . This decrease in volume of the pump chamber  14  causes the tubular input valve  126  to seat over the pump chamber input port  36  and also causes the tubular output valve  132  to flex away from the pump plunger sealing post  98  and open. Fluid in the pump chamber  14  is allowed to flow past the tubular output valve  132  and through the liquid discharge passage defined by the pump plunger center tube interior surface  96 , through the liquid spinner swirl chamber  106  and then through the nozzle orifice  114 . As the bulb  120  flexes into the pump chamber  14 , the vent valve  134  is caused to unseat from the vent chamber sealing surface  48 . This vents the interior of the bottle connected to the liquid dispenser through the liquid supply passage groove  42  and the vent chamber interior passage  46  to the exterior environment of the liquid dispenser. Releasing the user&#39;s fingers from the pump plunger  72  causes the resilience of the bulb  120  to push the pump plunger away from the pump chamber  14 . This movement of the bulb  120  creates a vacuum in the pump chamber  14  that causes the tubular output valve  132  to seat around the pump plunger sealing post  98  and causes the tubular input valve  126  to separate from the pump plunger input port  36  communicating the pump chamber interior volume with the liquid supply passage  18 . This causes liquid to be drawn from the container attached to the liquid dispenser up through the dip tube  44 , the liquid supply passage  18 , and the input port  36  into the interior of the pump chamber  14 . Repeated manual squeezing of the pump plunger  72  into the dispenser housing  12  and releasing of the pump plunger  72  causing it to be moved out of the dispenser housing  12  by the resilience of the bulb  120  causes the liquid in the bottle to be pumped through the liquid dispenser and discharged from the nozzle orifice  114 . 
     The in-line construction of the liquid dispenser enables the liquid dispenser to be constructed from a reduced number of component parts, thereby reducing the dispenser&#39;s manufacturing costs. In addition, the in-line construction provides a manually operated liquid dispenser that is easily operated by one hand of a user. 
     Although the liquid dispenser of the invention has been described herein by reference to a single embodiment, it should be understand that variations and alterations could be made to the construction of the liquid dispenser without departing from the scope of protection provided by the following claims.