Abstract:
Safety features in and for hose-end sprayer bottles. In a first safety arrangement, there is ensured a more hindered transition of a spool (e.g., product/carrier spool) or adjuster from a first setting to a second setting than from the second setting to the first setting, wherein in the first setting no carrier stream is admitted through the sprayer and in the second setting solely a carrier stream is admitted through the sprayer. In a second safety arrangement, there is arrested displacement of a container interface (e.g., bottle swivel) from a second (essentially advanced) position towards a first (essentially initial) position upon the container interface displacing from the first position to the second position.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED U.S. APPLICATION 
     This application is a continuation of and claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §120 of the earlier filing date of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/372,695 filed on Feb. 17, 2009 which claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of the earlier filing date of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/028,869, filed on Feb. 14, 2008, which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention generally relates to hose-end sprayers and their constituent components, as well as to safety features therefor. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Hose-end sprayers are generally well-known and are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,425,534 (issued Jul. 30, 2002), U.S. Pat. No. 5,372,310 (Dec. 3, 1994) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,320,288 (Jun. 14, 1994). These patents provide general background information with regard to hose-end sprayers that may be of use in better understanding the makeup and functioning of various embodiments of the present invention. For instance, these patents provide illustrative and non-restrictive examples of how a carrier stream and chemical product can be selectably mixed and admitted through a sprayer, and how alternatively solely a carrier stream can be admitted. 
     Generally, a strong and compelling need has been recognized in connection with providing hose-end sprayers and similar arrangements with effective safety features to prevent, at the very least, inadvertent spilling or leaking of chemical product in general and/or access to chemical product by children in particular. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     There are broadly contemplated herein, in accordance with at least one presently preferred embodiment of the present invention, safety features in and for hose-end sprayer bottles in which different safety arrangements are realizable and can work either alone or in combination. 
     In a first safety arrangement, there is ensured a more hindered transition of a spool (e.g., product/carrier spool) or adjuster from a first setting to a second setting than from the second setting to the first setting, wherein in the first setting no carrier stream is admitted through the sprayer and in the second setting solely a carrier stream is admitted through the sprayer. 
     In a second safety arrangement, there is arrested displacement of a container interface (e.g., bottle swivel) from a second (essentially advanced) position towards a first (essentially initial) position upon the container interface displacing from the first position to the second position. 
     In summary, there is broadly contemplated herein, in accordance with at least one presently preferred embodiment of the present invention, a hose-end sprayer apparatus for attachment to a hose, the apparatus comprising: a sprayer which selectably admits throughput of a carrier stream from a hose; a container interface for interfacing with a container which contains product for mixing with a carrier stream; an adjuster which establishes a delivery condition of a carrier stream and product; the adjuster being actuable between: a first setting, wherein no carrier stream is admitted through the sprayer; a second setting, wherein solely a carrier stream is admitted through the sprayer; a third setting, wherein product is admitted into a carrier stream admitted through the sprayer; and a safety arrangement which acts to ensure a more hindered transition of the adjuster from the first setting towards the third setting than from the third setting towards the first setting. 
     Further, there is broadly contemplated herein, in accordance with at least one presently preferred embodiment of the present invention, a hose-end sprayer apparatus for attachment to a hose, the apparatus comprising: a sprayer which selectably admits throughput of a carrier stream from a hose; a container adapted to contain product for mixing with a carrier stream; a container interface for interfacing the sprayer with the container; the container interface being displaceable with respect to the container; the container interface being displaceable between a first position, wherein the container interface is removable from the container, and a second position; and a safety arrangement which acts to arrest displacement of the container interface from the second position towards the first position upon the container interface displacing from the first position to the second position; the safety arrangement comprising: a first contact medium associated with the container interface; and a second contact medium associated with the container; the second contact medium acting to contact the first contact medium as the container interface displaces from the second position towards the first position and thereby arrest displacement of the container interface from the second position towards the first position. 
     Additionally, there is broadly contemplated herein, in accordance with at least one presently preferred embodiment of the present invention, a hose-end sprayer apparatus for attachment to a hose, the apparatus comprising: a sprayer which selectably admits throughput of a carrier stream from a hose; a container adapted to contain product for mixing with a carrier stream; a container interface for interfacing the sprayer with the container; the container interface being displaceable with respect to the container; the container interface being displaceable between a first position, wherein the container interface is removable from the container, and a second position; an adjuster which establishes a delivery condition of a carrier stream and product; the adjuster being actuable between: a first setting, wherein no carrier stream is admitted through the sprayer; a second setting, wherein solely a carrier stream is admitted through the sprayer; a third setting, wherein product is admitted into a carrier stream admitted through the sprayer; a first safety arrangement which acts to ensure a more hindered transition of the adjuster from the first setting towards the third setting than from the third setting towards the first setting; and a second safety arrangement which acts to arrest displacement of the container interface from the second position towards the first position upon the container interface displacing from the first position to the second position; the second safety arrangement comprising: a first contact medium associated with the container interface; and a second contact medium associated with the container; the second contact medium acting to contact the first contact medium as the container interface displaces from the second position towards the first position and thereby arrest displacement of the container interface from the second position towards the first position. 
     The novel features which are considered characteristic of the present invention are set forth herebelow. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of the specific embodiments when read and understood in connection with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention and its presently preferred embodiments will be better understood by way of reference to the detailed disclosure herebelow and to the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  provides an elevational view of a portion of a hose-end sprayer bottle arrangement; 
         FIG. 2  provides a perspective view of a sprayer from the arrangement of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is essentially the same view as  FIG. 1  but rotated about 90 degrees along a vertical axis; 
         FIG. 4  provides a highly schematicized top view of a sprayer. 
         FIG. 5   a  provides a highly schematicized exploded elevational view of a bottle swivel and a portion of a bottle neck; and 
         FIG. 5   b  provides a top cross-sectional view of a flange and bottle neck portion taken along line V-V. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       FIGS. 1-5   b  provide various views of a hose-end sprayer bottles with safety features in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. Reference may be made to all figures in connection with the discussion herebelow. Particularly reference may first be made to  FIGS. 1-3 , however, where  FIG. 1  provides an elevational view of a portion of a hose-end sprayer bottle arrangement,  FIG. 2  provides a perspective view of a sprayer from the arrangement of  FIG. 1 , and  FIG. 3  is essentially the same view as  FIG. 1  but rotated about 90 degrees along a vertical axis. 
     As known, a sprayer  100  may preferably include a rotatable spool  102  which can attain different predetermined settings. The sprayer  100  preferably has a hose connector  104  at one end configured for interfacing with a hose, while a bottle swivel  106  preferably provides a threaded connection with the neck  108   a  of a bottle  108  containing a product (such as chemical product, including powdered or liquid or other product). 
     As shown, there may preferably be three settings on the sprayer, “OFF”, “WATER” and “ON”, as well-known to those of ordinary skill in the art. “OFF” corresponds to the lack of any flow of any substance through the sprayer  100 , “WATER” corresponds to the flow of solely a “carrier stream” of water (or other liquid from a hose) through the sprayer  100  and “ON” generally corresponds to the combined flow of both the carrier stream and product (from the bottle) through the sprayer  100 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , these three settings are preferably labeled clearly on an external surface of the sprayer  100 . 
     Generally, the three aforementioned settings are attainable via rotating the spool  102  via a small control knob  110  that can be gripped, e.g., by a finger and thumb (e.g., a rectilinear protrusion of material from a circular outer surface of the spool  102 , which protrusion has a major dimension running in a radial direction across substantially a full diameter of this circular outer surface).  FIG. 1  shows how a rotational position of the spool  102  can correspond to these three settings (which, for their part, are indicated by dotted lines running in radial directions with respect to the spool  102 ). 
     Normally, the three aforementioned settings are easily attainable merely by virtue of rotating the spool  102 , without significant impediment being provided to such rotation (other than, e.g., frictional contact between the spool  102  and a cylindrical recess inside the sprayer  100  which houses the spool  102 ). However, in accordance with a presently preferred embodiment of the present invention, a safety feature is preferably provided which does present a structural impediment to rotation of the spool  102  and thus greatly reduces the likelihood of inadvertent spool rotation (e.g., by a child). 
     As shown, the sprayer body preferably includes a longitudinal tab  112 , whose major dimension lies essentially in parallel with respect to a longitudinal axis of the sprayer  100  and is located close to that side of the spool  102  containing the spool control knob  110 . Preferably disposed adjacent this longitudinal tab, on the sprayer body, is a transverse tab  114 , whose major dimension lies in perpendicular to that of the longitudinal tab  112  and extends transversely in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the sprayer  100 . With relation to the three spool positions, the longitudinal and transverse tabs ( 112  and  114 , respectively) are preferably disposed between the “WATER” and “OFF” positions. 
     Preferably mounted at an end of the spool control knob is a tab  116  which extends a short distance transversely away from the control knob  110  (i.e., in a direction into the drawing in  FIG. 1  and to the right in  FIG. 2 ) such that when this spool tab  116  contacts the sprayer longitudinal tab, further rotational movement of the spool  102  will be impeded. Preferably, this blocking of rotational movement of the spool  102  will apply regardless of the direction from which the spool tab  116  contacts the longitudinal tab  112 . Accordingly, the longitudinal tab  112  will preferably be sufficiently flexible as to permit its being bent towards the transverse tab  114  so as to provide just enough clearance (even with some small degree of contact) for the spool tab  116  to move past the longitudinal tab  112  (and, thus, for the spool  102  to continue rotating past the longitudinal tab  112  in either rotational direction away from the longitudinal tab  112 ). Preferably, a primary role of the transverse tab  114  will be to limit this bending movement of the longitudinal tab  112  and thereby prevent any likelihood of over-bending the longitudinal tab  112  and risking its breakage. 
     It will be readily appreciated that by virtue of the safety feature just described, once the spool  102  is in the “OFF” position, inadvertent rotation of the spool  102  out of the “OFF” position will be next to impossible and: (a) not only will, e.g., a child be substantially prevented from allowing a combined water and product stream to issue from the sprayer  100 ; but (b) the final effect will be one of extra sealing, such that any inadvertent movement of the bottle (e.g., falling off of a table) will almost certainly not be sufficient to jar the spool  102  out of the “off” position and thus cause, e.g., an inadvertent leaking of product from the bottle  108 . In other words, as can be appreciated with reference to the aforementioned U.S. Patents herein incorporated by reference, a channel for product will not be opened unless the spool tab  116  (also termed the “control knob tab” herein) passes the longitudinal tab  112  and is in the “ON” position. It will further be appreciated that as the control knob  110  moves from “ON” to “OFF”, passing through the “WATER” position, any residual product in the sprayer  100  (in the case of a partially used bottle) will be cleaned out of (i.e., removed from) the sprayer  100  by the carrier stream. 
     Preferably, in the “WATER” position, the control knob  110  tab will nearly, but not quite, be in contact with the longitudinal tab  112 , thus permitting a highly eased transition between the “ON” and “WATER” positions. 
     As shown in detail now in  FIG. 4  (itself a highly schematicized top view of the sprayer  100 ), the control knob tab  116  may be provided with a bevel, or angular cut, (b) such that when the spool  102  is rotating in a direction from “ON” towards “OFF”, the control knob tab  116  will encounter less of an impediment at the longitudinal tab  112  and thus will be able to move past the longitudinal tab  112  without requiring that the longitudinal tab  112  be additionally bent. In other words, the bevel or angular cut (b) will preferably engage the longitudinal tab  112  in such a way that the longitudinal tab  112  will be caused to be bent towards the transverse tab  114  merely by virtue of the spool  102  being rotated in the direction from “ON” towards “OFF”. 
     Of course, no such bevel or angular cut will preferably be provided on the control knob tab  116  in a way to provide such an ease of movement when the spool  102  is rotated in a direction from “OFF” towards “ON”; in that instance, the control knob tab  116  will preferably engage the longitudinal tab  112  directly and in such a way that further rotational movement of the spool  102  is next to impossible until an additional effort is made to simultaneously bend the longitudinal tab  112  towards the transverse tab  114  (i.e., by an external force other than that provided merely by rotation of the spool  102 ). This lack of a bevel or angular cut is indicated in  FIG. 4  by way of the right-angle corner indicated at (c). 
     Referring back to  FIG. 3 , when the hose end sprayer  100  is attached to the bottle  108 , two legs or tabs that extend below the bottle swivel  106  will preferably serve to prevent the sprayer  100  from being removed from the bottle  108 ; one such leg (or tab)  118  is shown in  FIG. 3  but it should be understood that a second leg will preferably be disposed diametrically opposite from the one shown. In a manner to be appreciated herebelow, these tabs  118  will preferably clear and then be blocked by stops on the neck  108   a  of bottle  108  to prevent return rotation of the bottle swivel  106 ; one such stop is indicated at  120 . 
     More particularly, the bottle swivel  106  is preferably configured, as known, for threaded engagement with a neck  108   a  of the bottle  108 . Accordingly, as known, the bottle swivel  106  will preferably tighten onto the neck  108   a  of bottle  108  with clockwise displacement of the bottle swivel  106  with respect to the bottle neck  108   a.  (As is also well known, the sprayer  100  is preferably pivotably connected with the bottle swivel  106  so that once the bottle swivel  106  is tightened with respect to the bottle [ 108 ) neck  108   a , the sprayer  100  will be able to undergo pivotable displacement with respect to the bottle  108 .) 
     However, in accordance with a presently preferred embodiment of the present invention, the bottle swivel  106  preferably locks with respect to the bottle neck  108   a  after the aforementioned clockwise tightening with respect to the bottle neck  108   a  and by virtue of the aforementioned tabs and stops. Particularly, once the bottle swivel  106  is close to being fully tightened with respect to the bottle neck  108   a , the two bottle swivel tabs  118  will preferably just clear the bottle neck stops  120  whereupon the tabs  118  will be in a position where they can no longer be displaced rotationally, in a (return) counterclockwise direction of the bottle swivel  106 , past the stops  120 . In other words, a substantially vertical edge of each tab  120  will preferably come into contact with a substantially vertical edge of each stop  118  when any attempt is made to unscrew the bottle swivel  106  from the bottle neck  108   a  in a counterclockwise direction. (It should be noted that the “clockwise” and “counterclockwise” directions presented here are for illustrative purposes only and are understood to relate to rotational directions as viewed from a top view of the bottle  108 .) 
     To help illustrate this phenomenon further,  FIG. 5   a  provides a highly schematicized exploded elevational view of the bottle swivel  116  and a portion  108   b  of the bottle neck  108   a  while  FIG. 5   b  provides a top cross-sectional view of a flange and bottle neck portion taken along line V-V. Both  FIGS. 5   a  and  5   b  will now be referred to jointly. 
     Preferably, a flange  121  of smaller general diameter than the illustrated bottle neck portion  108   b  is disposed atop the bottle neck portion  108   b  and forms a bottom portion of an externally threaded bottle neck portion (not shown) extending thereabove which engages with internal threads of the bottle swivel  106 . (It should thus be understood that in  FIG. 5   a  there are portions of the bottle neck  108   a  above the flange  121  that are not shown, to provide an ease of illustration.) Also shown is a central opening  108   c  of bottle neck portion  108   b  (and by extension, of bottle neck  108   a ). 
     As shown, the bottle neck  108   a  (and particularly portion  108   b  thereof) is preferably provided with a pair of ramps  122  fused with or otherwise disposed immediately adjacent to the flange  121 . When the bottle swivel is close to being fully tightened on the bottle neck, the bottle swivel tabs (only one of which is shown in  FIG. 5   a  to facilitate illustration) will engage with the ramps  122 , “ride” the ramps  122  and thence “click” into place adjacent the stops  120  once each tab  118  clears each stop  120 . An unscrewing of the bottle swivel  106  from the bottle neck  108   a  will now be next to impossible since, with an unscrewing (here, counterclockwise) movement of the bottle swivel, the essentially vertical edge of each tab  118  will directly engage the essentially vertical edge of each stop  120 . 
     Each ramp  122  is preferably configured to push each tab  118  radially outwardly (with respect to a central axis of the bottle swivel  106  and bottle neck  108   a ); accordingly, each ramp  122  preferably has an outer surface that is essentially flush with the flange  121  at a junction point (J) but then, essentially, is increasingly disposed further away in a radial direction from the flange  121  and further away in a vertical direction from the flat annular surface  124  adjacent the flange  121  (see  FIG. 5   b ) as a function of clockwise angular distance from the junction point (J), thence terminating at a stop  120 . Just prior to terminating at a stop  120 , each ramp  122  may preferably include a small arcuate front surface (F) that preferably runs in parallel to the circular periphery of the flange  121  and the bottle neck  108   a.    
     Accordingly, each ramp  122  preferably provides a gradual transition, in the path of movement of a tab  118 , from junction point (J) to front surface (F), whereby the tab  118  then immediately transitions radially (e.g., as a “click”) back to a position of rest adjacent the flange  121 . Each ramp  122  may preferably be configured in essentially any suitable manner that readily effects the gradual transition just described; preferably, the outer surface of each ramp  122  may be appropriately curved for the purpose. Further, as an additional aid in the gradual transition just mentioned, each tab  118  may preferably include a bevel (b 2 ) that provides an ease of movement of each tab along and adjacent each ramp (and thereby an eased gradual transition from junction point [J] to the abrupt “click” just beyond stop [s]). 
     Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention and its embodiments that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of the present invention and its embodiments. 
     If not otherwise stated herein, it may be assumed that all components and/or processes described heretofore may, if appropriate, be considered to be interchangeable with similar components and/or processes disclosed elsewhere in the specification, unless an express indication is made to the contrary. 
     If not otherwise stated herein, any and all patents, patent publications, articles and other printed publications discussed or mentioned herein are hereby incorporated by reference as if set forth in their entirety herein. 
     It should be appreciated that the apparatus and method of the present invention may be configured and conducted as appropriate for any context at hand. The embodiments described above are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.