Abstract:
A trigger sprayer has a nozzle assembly that dispenses a spray of liquid in a fan pattern that is selectively oriented horizontally or vertically. The nozzle assembly includes a nozzle housing and nozzle cap mounted on the nozzle housing, where the nozzle cap is rotatable relative to the nozzle housing to direct a fan spray pattern of liquid from the nozzle cap in both a vertical and horizontal orientation, and prevent the discharge of liquid from the nozzle cap in cap positions between the horizontal and vertical orientations.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    (1) Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention pertains to a trigger sprayer having a nozzle assembly that dispenses a spray of liquid in a fan pattern that is selectively oriented horizontally or vertically. In particular, the present invention pertains to the construction of a nozzle housing and nozzle cap mounted on the nozzle housing, where the nozzle cap is rotatable relative to the nozzle housing to direct a fan spray pattern of liquid from the nozzle cap in both a vertical and horizontal orientation, and prevent the discharge of liquid from the nozzle cap in cap positions between the horizontal and vertical orientations. 
         [0003]    (2) Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    Trigger sprayers are hand held and hand operated sprayers that dispense liquid from a bottle attached to the sprayer. The typical trigger sprayer has a sprayer housing that is attached to the bottle by a threaded connection or a bayonet-type connection. The sprayer housing contains a pump chamber, a liquid supply passage that communicates the pump chamber through a dip tube with the liquid inside the container attached to the sprayer housing, and a liquid discharge passage that communicates with the pump chamber. 
         [0005]    A piston is mounted on the sprayer housing for reciprocating movement through the pump chamber. A trigger is also mounted on the sprayer housing for pivoting movement of the trigger relative to the sprayer housing. The trigger is operatively connected to the pump piston to cause the pump piston to reciprocate through the pump chamber in response to manually squeezing and releasing the trigger. 
         [0006]    In the typical operation of a trigger sprayer, the trigger sprayer is held in the hand of an operator and the trigger of the trigger sprayer is manually squeezed and released. The manual squeezing and releasing of the trigger sprayer trigger causes the pump piston to reciprocate in the pump chamber. The reciprocation of the pump piston draws liquid from the bottle through the dip tube and the liquid supply passage to the pump chamber, and pumps the liquid from the pump chamber through the liquid discharge passage of the sprayer housing. A nozzle assembly attached to the sprayer housing controls the discharge of liquid from the sprayer housing. 
         [0007]    Known trigger sprayer nozzle assemblies discharge liquid from the trigger sprayers in a variety of different discharge spray patterns. Known nozzle assemblies discharge liquid in a conical spray pattern, in a linear stream pattern, and discharge liquid as a foam in the most commonly known discharge patterns. However, in certain uses of a trigger sprayer, other liquid discharge patterns may be more desirable. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    The present invention provides a trigger sprayer having a nozzle assembly that is capable of discharging liquid from a trigger sprayer in a planar, fan pattern of spray discharge. This novel discharge pattern of spray from the nozzle assembly of the invention is similar to the conical spray discharge pattern, but is a more flat, fan-shaped spray discharge pattern. In certain applications, the flat, fan spray discharge pattern of the present invention is more desirable than the conical spray discharge pattern of the prior art. 
         [0009]    The nozzle assembly of the invention is designed to be used with essentially any known type of manually operated trigger sprayer. The nozzle assembly is attached to the liquid discharge passage of the trigger sprayer, where the nozzle assembly receives a flow liquid discharged from the trigger sprayer on manual operation of the trigger sprayer. 
         [0010]    The nozzle assembly of the invention is comprised of only two component parts, a nozzle housing and a nozzle cap mounted for rotation on the nozzle housing. The two-piece construction of the nozzle assembly reduces manufacturing costs. 
         [0011]    The nozzle housing is constructed to be attachable to the trigger sprayer housing to receive liquid discharged from the trigger sprayer housing on operation of the trigger sprayer. The nozzle housing has a liquid discharge passage that extends through the nozzle housing from a liquid inlet opening at one end of the passage, to a liquid outlet opening at the opposite end of the passage. The liquid inlet opening receives the liquid discharged from the trigger sprayer housing and the liquid discharge passage directs a flow of the liquid in a downstream direction from the inlet opening to the outlet opening of the liquid discharge passage. 
         [0012]    A post is positioned in the liquid discharge passage. The post has a length that extends in the downstream direction from a proximal end of the post positioned in the liquid discharge passage, to a distal end of the post positioned adjacent the outlet opening of the liquid discharge passage. Four grooves are recessed into an exterior surface of the post. The grooves are spaced 90 degrees from each other around the circumference of the post, and the grooves extend parallel to each other across the post to the distal end of the post. 
         [0013]    The nozzle cap is mounted on the nozzle housing for rotation of the cap on the housing. The nozzle cap has a tubular wall with an interior surface that surrounds the post of the nozzle housing. The tubular wall interior surface defines an interior bore of the nozzle cap. An oblong, slot-shaped outlet orifice is provided in the nozzle cap at one end of the interior bore. A pair of grooves are recessed into opposite sides of the tubular wall interior surface. The grooves extend in the downstream direction along the tubular wall interior surface and are aligned with the opposite ends of the oblong, slot-shaped orifice. 
         [0014]    The nozzle cap is rotatable on the nozzle housing through 90 degree increments, or quarter turns, between first, second, third and fourth positions of the nozzle cap relative to the nozzle housing. In the first, second, third, and fourth positions of the nozzle cap relative to the nozzle housing, the pair of grooves in the nozzle cap tubular wall are aligned with a pair of grooves on the exterior of the nozzle housing post. This communicates the nozzle cap grooves with the nozzle housing grooves, and allows liquid to flow through the nozzle housing discharge passage and the nozzle cap interior bore, with the liquid being discharged from the nozzle assembly through oblong, slot-shaped outlet orifice of the nozzle cap. When the nozzle cap is in the first and third positions relative to the nozzle housing, the nozzle cap outlet orifice is oriented horizontally and the liquid is discharged in a horizontal fan spray pattern. When the nozzle cap is in the second and fourth positions relative to the nozzle housing, the liquid discharged from the nozzle cap orifice is discharged in a vertical fan spray pattern. When the nozzle cap is rotated to positions between the first, second, third, and fourth positions of the nozzle cap relative to the nozzle housing, the grooves of the nozzle cap and nozzle housing are not aligned and liquid flow through the nozzle assembly is prevented. 
     
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES 
         [0015]    Further features of the invention are set forth in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention and are shown in the following drawing figures. 
           [0016]      FIG. 1  is a side elevation view of the nozzle assembly of the invention mounted on a liquid discharge passage of a trigger sprayer shown in dashed lines. 
           [0017]      FIG. 2  is a front perspective view of the nozzle assembly of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0018]      FIG. 3  is a front perspective view of the nozzle housing of the nozzle assembly with the nozzle cap removed. 
           [0019]      FIG. 4  is a front perspective view of the nozzle housing from the opposite side of the nozzle housing shown in  FIG. 3 . 
           [0020]      FIG. 5  is a rear elevation view of the nozzle housing. 
           [0021]      FIG. 6  is a front elevation view of the nozzle housing. 
           [0022]      FIG. 7  is a front elevation view of the nozzle cap removed from the nozzle housing. 
           [0023]      FIG. 8  is a rear elevation view of the nozzle cap removed from the nozzle housing. 
           [0024]      FIG. 9  is a front elevation view of the nozzle cap assembled to the nozzle housing. 
           [0025]      FIG. 10  is a side sectioned view of the nozzle cap and nozzle housing of  FIG. 9 , with the section being in the plain of line  10 - 10  of  FIG. 9 . 
           [0026]      FIG. 11  is a front elevation view of the nozzle cap and nozzle housing. 
           [0027]      FIG. 12  is a side sectioned view of the nozzle cap and nozzle housing shown in  FIG. 11 , with the section being in the plan of line  12 - 12  of  FIG. 11 . 
           [0028]      FIG. 13  is a front sectioned view through the nozzle assembly, with the section being in the plan of line  13 - 13  of  FIG. 12 . 
           [0029]      FIG. 14  is a cross section view similar to that of  FIG. 13 , but showing the relative positions of the nozzle cap and nozzle housing in the vertical fan spray positions. 
           [0030]      FIG. 15  is a view similar to  FIG. 13 , but showing the relative positions of the nozzle cap and nozzle housing in the horizontal spray positions. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0031]      FIG. 1  shows the nozzle assembly  10  of the invention assembled to a trigger sprayer  12  represented in dashed lines, with the nozzle assembly  10  communicating with the liquid discharge passage  14  of the trigger sprayer. The trigger sprayer  12  is shown in dashed lines in  FIG. 1  because the nozzle assembly  10  of the invention is designed to be used with essentially any type of manually held and operated trigger sprayer.  FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of the nozzle assembly  10  disassembled from the trigger sprayer  12 . The nozzle assembly  10  is comprised of only two component parts, a nozzle housing  16  and a nozzle cap  18 . The nozzle cap  18  is mounted on the nozzle housing  16  for free rotation of the cap  18  on the housing  16 . Thus, the cap  18  can be rotated in opposite directions on the housing  16 , and can be rotated more than one complete rotation on the housing. Both the nozzle housing  16  and nozzle cap  18  are constructed of plastic materials that are typically used in the construction of trigger sprayers. 
         [0032]      FIGS. 3-6  show the nozzle housing  16  of  FIG. 2 , with the nozzle cap  18  dissembled from the nozzle housing. The construction of the nozzle housing  16  can also be seen in the cross sections of the housing shown in  FIGS. 10 and 12 . 
         [0033]    The nozzle housing  16  has a discharge tube  20  with a cylindrical interior surface  22  that defines an upstream portion of a liquid discharge passage of the nozzle assembly. The nozzle housing discharge tube  20  could be an integral extension of the trigger sprayer liquid discharge passage  14 , or could be assembled to the discharge passage. The tube interior surface  22  extends in a downstream direction through the nozzle housing  16  from an inlet opening  24  of the liquid discharge passage, to a liquid outlet opening  26  of the liquid discharge passage. The liquid outlet opening  26  is surrounded by a cylindrical cap wall  28  of the nozzle housing  16 . The cap wall  28  has a cylindrical interior surface  30  and an opposite exterior surface  32 . The cap wall interior surface  30  defines a downstream portion of the liquid discharge passage. An annular groove  34  is formed in the cap wall exterior surface  32 . The annular groove  34  mounts the nozzle cap  18  to the nozzle housing  16  for free rotating movement of the nozzle cap  18  on the nozzle housing  16 , as will be explained. 
         [0034]    A post  36  is positioned in the liquid discharge passage defined by the nozzle housing discharge tube interior surface  22  and the cap wall interior surface  30 . The post  36  has a cylindrical exterior surface that extends from a proximal end  38  of the post positioned upstream in the nozzle housing liquid discharge passage, to a distal end  40  of the post positioned just outside of the nozzle housing liquid discharge passage. The post distal end  40  has an exterior surface with a conical configuration that projects outwardly from the outlet opening  26  of the nozzle housing liquid discharge passage. 
         [0035]    A plurality of grooves  42  are recessed into the exterior surface of the post  36 . In the preferred embodiment, the plurality of post grooves  42  are four grooves that are circumferentially spaced around the circumference of the post, with each of the grooves  42  being spaced 90 degrees from adjacent grooves on the post circumference. The grooves  42  have upstream portions that extend parallel to each other and parallel to a center axis  44  of the post  36 , and downstream portions that converge toward each other and toward the post center axis  44 . The downstream portions of the grooves  42  extend to the tip of the post distal end  40 . 
         [0036]    The nozzle housing  16  is also constructed with a flange  45  that extends over a portion of the liquid discharge tube  22 . The flange  45  is employed in attaching the nozzle housing  16  to the trigger sprayer  12  in a conventional manner, with the nozzle housing liquid discharge tube  20  communicating with the trigger sprayer discharge passage  14 . 
         [0037]    The nozzle cap  18  has a generally cylindrical exterior wall  46  that extends around an interior volume of the nozzle cap. The exterior wall  46  tapers slightly toward an end wall  48  of the nozzle cap at one end of the exterior wall  46 . The opposite end of the exterior wall  46  is open. The nozzle housing cap wall  28  extends through the opening and into the interior volume of the nozzle cap  18 . 
         [0038]    The nozzle cap exterior wall  46  has an interior surface  50  that opposes the nozzle housing cap wall  28 . An annular rim  52  projects inwardly from the interior surface  50 . The rim  52  is dimensioned to be received in the annular groove  34  on the nozzle housing cap wall  28 . The engagement of the rim  52  in the annular groove  34  mounts the nozzle cap  18  on the nozzle housing  16  for free rotation of the cap on the housing. The engagement of the rim  52  in the annular groove  34  also prevents the nozzle cap  18  from being moved axially relative to the nozzle housing  16 . 
         [0039]    A cylindrical inner sealing wall  54  projects inwardly from the cap end wall  48  into the nozzle cap interior volume. The inner wall  54  is dimensioned to engage in a sealing, sliding engagement with the interior surface of the nozzle housing cap wall  28 . 
         [0040]    A cylindrical, tubular wall  56  also projects inwardly from the nozzle cap end wall  48 . The tubular wall  56  is positioned concentrically inside the inner sealing wall  54  of the nozzle cap. The tubular wall  56  has a cylindrical interior surface  58  that surrounds and engages in sealing engagement with the exterior surface of the nozzle housing post  36 . A pair of axial grooves  60  are recessed into the tubular wall interior surface  58 . The tubular wall grooves  60  are positioned on diametrically opposite sides of the tubular wall  56  and extend parallel to each other along the tubular wall. As shown in  FIG. 10 , the tubular wall grooves  60  do not extend for the entire length of the tubular wall  56 . 
         [0041]    The nozzle cap end wall  48  inside the tubular wall  56  has a conical configuration. The conical shape gives the end wall a conical interior surface  62  and a conical exterior surface  64 . The conical interior surface  62  mates in sliding engagement with the conical distal end surface  40  of the nozzle housing post  36 . The conical interior surface  62  converges to an outlet orifice  66  that passes through the center of the nozzle cap end wall  48 . The outlet orifice  66  has an oblong, slot-shaped configuration. The opposite ends of the slot-shaped orifice  66  align with the pair of grooves  60  in the interior surface  58  of the nozzle cap tubular wall  56 . 
         [0042]    A cylindrical projection  68  projects outwardly from the center of the conical end wall exterior surface  64 . The projection  68  has a slot  70  formed through its center. The slot  70  is aligned with the elongate slot configuration of the orifice  66  and the interior of the slot  70  communicates with the orifice  66 . The opposing planar surfaces  72  on the opposite sides of the projection slot  70  further form the discharge of liquid from the slot orifice  66  into a flat, fan-shaped spray pattern. 
         [0043]    With the relative positions of the four post grooves  42  on the exterior of the nozzle housing post  36 , and the two tubular wall grooves  60  in the interior surface  58  of the nozzle cap tubular wall  56 , it can be seen that the two tubular wall grooves  60  will align with a pair of the nozzle housing post grooves  48  when the nozzle cap  18  is rotated relative to the nozzle housing  16  so that the elongate slot orifice  60  is positioned vertically as shown in  FIGS. 9 and 14 , and is positioned horizontally as shown in  FIG. 15 . In these positions of the nozzle cap  18  relative to the nozzle housing  16 , the nozzle housing post grooves  42  are aligned with the nozzle cap tubular wall groove  60  and fluid is permitted to flow through the aligned grooves and exit through the slot orifice  66 . The slot configuration of the orifice  66  and the opposing surfaces  72  of the cap projection slot  70  form the discharged liquid in a flat fan pattern.  FIGS. 9 and 14  show the nozzle cap  18  in a first position relative to the nozzle housing  16 . In this position of the nozzle cap  18 , the liquid discharged from the cap orifice  66  is formed in a vertical fan spray pattern. Rotating the nozzle cap  18  ninety degrees or one-quarter rotation to a second position of the nozzle cap  18  relative to the nozzle housing  16  will position the cap and housing in the position shown in  FIG. 15 . In this second position of the nozzle cap  18  relative to the nozzle housing  16 , the discharge of liquid from the nozzle cap orifice  66  will be in a horizontal fan spray pattern. Rotating the nozzle cap  18  an additional ninety degrees or one-quarter turn in the same direction will position the nozzle cap  18  in a third position relative to the nozzle housing  16 , which is basically the same as that shown in  FIG. 14 . Rotating the nozzle cap  18  an additional ninety degrees or one-quarter turn in the same direction will position the nozzle cap  18  in a fourth position relative to the nozzle housing  16 , which is basically the same as that shown in  FIG. 15 . Thus, in the first and third positions of the nozzle cap  18  relative to the nozzle housing  16 , the spray discharged from the nozzle assembly  10  is in a vertical fan pattern, and in the second and fourth positions of the nozzle cap  18  relative to the nozzle housing  16 , the spray discharged from the nozzle assembly  10  is in a horizontal fan spray pattern. 
         [0044]    When the nozzle cap  18  is rotated relative to the nozzle housing  16  to positions between the first, second, third, or fourth positions, the nozzle cap tubular wall grooves  60  are not aligned with the nozzle housing post grooves  42  and liquid discharge through the nozzle assembly  10  is prevented. An example of this situation is shown in  FIG. 13 . 
         [0045]    Thus, the nozzle assembly  10  of the present invention provides a nozzle assembly of simplified, two-piece construction, that is easily adjusted to discharge liquid in either a vertical fan spray pattern or a horizontal fan spray pattern, or is adjusted to an off position where the discharge of liquid through the nozzle assembly  10  is prevented. 
         [0046]    Although the nozzle assembly of the invention has been described above with reference to a specific embodiment of the invention, it should be understood that modifications and variations could be made to the embodiment described without departing from the intended scope of the application claims.