Abstract:
A hand held bottle for dispensing fluids in a spray having a reservoir for holding fluid and a dispensing mechanism including a siphon tube disposed in the fluid, a first baffle positioned in the bottle to create a well or accumulation of fluid in a bottom portion of the bottle when it is moved from a vertical to a horizontal position, especially when the total level of fluid in the reservoir is low. A second baffle positions the siphon tube within the well.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention pertains to spray bottles and in particular, to those spray bottles used to dispense, inter alia, common household cleaning fluids. Spray bottles find numerous uses both domestically and industrially for dispensing a variety of fluids from plain liquids, e.g. water, alcohol, to complex liquid based compounds.  
         [0002]     Spray bottles are commonly used in restaurants to dispense a cleaning fluid to clean tables in between uses by successive patrons.  
         [0003]     The problem with prior art spray bottles is that when the bottle is held in a horizontal position and there is only a small amount of fluid left in the bottle, the siphoning tube is not immersed into the fluid and the bottle can no longer spray the contents. Thus, with prior art spray bottles there is always fluid left in the bottle that can not be extracted by the normal spray mechanism. At that point the user must either refill the bottle or transfer the contents from one spray bottle to another spray bottle of like fluid.  
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     The present invention pertains to modifying an existing spray bottle by including a baffle in a lower portion of the spray bottle which will create a reservoir or well in the bottle when the bottle is held in a horizontal position. Having the dip or siphon tube of the spray mechanism positioned in the well or secondary reservoir in the bottle will enable the user to extract an additional amount of fluid when the bottle is held horizontally and thus prolong the useful life of a given spray bottle.  
         [0005]     Thus in a broadest aspect the present invention is a device for dispensing fluids from a spray bottle of the type including a liquid reservoir in the form of a bottle adapted to be gripped by a users hand and a spray mechanism including a dip or siphon tube extending into fluid contained in the reservoir, the improvement comprising: first means disposed proximate a bottom surface of the reservoir to trap a quantity of fluid and prevent the quantity of fluid from spreading along a vertical wall of the reservoir when the reservoir is moved from a vertical to a horizontal position by a user, and the siphon tube is positioned so that an inlet end of said siphon tube is below and proximate the first means. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING  
       [0006]      FIG. 1  is a front view partially in section of a spray bottle according to the prior art.  
         [0007]      FIG. 2  is a front view partially in section of the spray of  FIG. 1  shown in a horizontal position.  
         [0008]      FIG. 3  is a partial cross sectional view of the apparatus according to the present invention.  
         [0009]      FIG. 4  is a section taken along lines  4 - 4  of the  FIG. 1 .  
         [0010]      FIG. 5  is a representation of a bottle according to the present invention, partially in perspective, shown disposed in a vertical position during use.  
         [0011]      FIG. 6  is a partial perspective view of a bottle according to the present invention shown held in a horizontal position for dispensing fluid.  
         [0012]      FIG. 6A  is a partial perspective view of a bottle according to the present invention shown held in a horizontal position showing the effect of the features of the invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0013]     A spray bottle shown generally as  10  in  FIGS. 1 and 2  according to the prior art comprises a bottle or reservoir portion  12  which will hold a fluid  14  to be dispensed from the bottle  12  by a spray or pump mechanism  16  which usually is included in a cap  18  closing the neck portion  11  of the bottle  12 . Bottle  12  can be made in any convenient shape such as shown in  FIG. 1  wherein an upper portion  13  of bottle  12  has the general shape of a pistol grip. The spray mechanism  16  includes a dip or siphon tube  20  that extends toward the bottom  22  of the bottle  12  so that the fluid  14  inside the bottle  12  can be pumped, by activating trigger  26 , through the siphon tube  20  to a spray nozzle  24  for dispensing. In prior art bottles the siphon tube is generally vertical and extends to a location proximate the bottom  22  of the spray bottle  12  as shown in  FIG. 1 . When the spray bottle  12  is held in a vertical position almost all of the liquid can be dispensed using the spray mechanism  16 . However, as shown in  FIG. 2  when there is only a small amount of fluid  14  left in the bottle  12  and the bottle  12  is tilted or disposed in a horizontal position the fluid  14  is directed away from the siphon tube  20  and cannot be dispensed. This is particularly critical in applications where cleaning and disinfecting fluid is to be sprayed on a horizontal surface such as on a food preparation or food service counter, table top, or other horizontal surface, while the user is generally in a vertical position. As shown in  FIG. 2  the fluid moves toward a front wall  23  of the bottle  12 , thus leaving the end  21  of siphon tube  20  no longer submerged in fluid  14 . In this position the spray mechanism will withdraw air from the bottle  12 , not the fluid  14 .  
         [0014]     Referring to  FIG. 3 , the present invention illustrated generally by numeral  30  includes a bottle or reservoir portion  32  having a neck portion  34  closed by a cap or other closure mechanism  36 . As with the device of  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2  cap  36  is fitted with a pump spray mechanism  38  which includes a nozzle  40  and a trigger or activator device  42 . Spray mechanism  38  includes a siphon or dip tube  44 , which extends from the dispensing mechanism  38  to a location proximate a bottom portion  46  of bottle  32 .  
         [0015]     Bottle  32  may also include a grip shaped portion  48  to facilitate holding and spraying of the bottle contents by a user, as is well known in the art.  
         [0016]     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the bottle  32  according to the present invention is provided with a first baffle  48 , which is formed as part of, or is attached a front wall  50  of the bottle  32  and as shown in  FIG. 4  extends between sidewalls  52  and  54  of bottle  32 . Baffle  48  thus provides a well, reservoir or closed space  56  in a location adjacent the bottom or gravity portion  46  of bottle  32  as will hereinafter be more fully explained.  
         [0017]     Bottle  32  also includes a second baffle or diverter  58 , which extends between sidewalls  52  and  54  respectively but does not contact either front wall  50  or back wall  60  or bottom  46  of bottle  32 . The baffle  58  serves to assure positioning of the siphon tube  44  within the area  56  when the bottle is filled with fluid and the spray mechanism  38  is in place. Baffle  58  in such that fluid can flow into all interior areas of bottle  32  unimpeded.  
         [0018]     Baffle  58  may not be necessary if the siphon tube  44  can be shaped as shown in  FIG. 3  and positioned by spray mechanism  38  so that end  45  of siphon or dip tube  44  is below baffle  48  and adjacent wall  50  of bottle  32 . Baffle  58  will assure proper positioning of the siphon tube  44  when spray mechanism  38  is placed on bottle  32 .  
         [0019]     Referring to  FIG. 5 , the apparatus  30  of the present invention is shown with fluid  62  contained in bottle  32  with a fluid level indicated at  63  that is above the baffle  48  and partially below baffle  58 . In this position when a user, represented by the hand  70 , is holding the bottle  32  in a vertical or near vertical position the fluid  62  in the form of a spray  64  can be readily dispensed from the bottle  32 .  
         [0020]     Referring to  FIG. 6A , when the user  70  moves the bottle  32  to a generally horizontal position and there is adequate fluid represented by level  65  in the bottle  32 , fluid still is able to enter the end  45  of the dip tube  44 , thus the user can dispense a spray  64  when bottle  32  is in a generally horizontal position.  
         [0021]     Referring to  FIG. 6B  when the bottle  32  is held in a generally horizontal position by a user  70  and fluid  62  has been withdrawn to a level  66  that would ordinarily prevent the siphon tube  44  from being submerged in the fluid  62 , the remaining fluid  62  can be trapped behind baffle  48  by tilting the bottle approximately 180° from the position shown in  FIG. 6B  toward the user. Thus, the fluid  62  is collected in a secondary well or reservoir of fluid in the area shown as  56  in  FIG. 3 . When the bottle  32  is rotated back to the position shown in  FIG. 6B  the entry end  45  of the dip tube  44  is immersed in the remaining fluid  62 , thus permitting the user to dispense a spray  64  when bottle  32  is in a horizontal position and most of the fluid  62  has been dispensed.  
         [0022]     The baffles  48 ,  58  according to the present invention virtually eliminate the formation of an air pocket within dip, siphon or suction tube  44  which will necessitate a user moving the bottle to an upright position prior to being able to continue to spray liquid when the liquid level in the bottle is such that it is partially below the entry  45  of dip tube  44 .  
         [0023]     The secondary baffle  58  assures that the entry end  45  of the dip tube  44  is always immersed in the fluid  62  so that an air pocket does not form within dip tube  44 .  
         [0024]     The baffles  48 ,  58  can be conveniently molded in place as the bottle is produced from any of the well known plastic materials used for spray bottles.  
         [0025]     While the invention has been shown with a spray bottle of the type that has a generally rectangular or round corner rectangular cross section the invention can be applied to any shape of spray bottle, be they of a square cross section or circular in cross section or in any other shape that one would find convenient to manufacture a spray bottle.  
         [0026]     Having thus described my invention what is desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is set forth in the appended claims.