Abstract:
A fluid dispenser having a hand operated valve has a pulsator for discharging sequential pulses of liquid when the valve is open. The pulsator has a liquid diverter that directs several streams of liquid toward an impeller for rotating the impeller. The impeller has a fluid blocking plate that sequentially interrupts the flow of liquid through the fluid dispensing orifices located in a head located adjacent the impeller.

Description:
This application claims benefit to U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 60/074,072, filed Feb. 9, 1998. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention is in the art of fluid dispensers for directing fluid to a selected location. The fluid dispenser is a pistol grip hose nozzle having a pulsator for sequentially pulsing the liquid discharged from the nozzle. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Pistol grip nozzles coupled to hoses and tubes carrying liquids, such as water, are used to control the dispensing of the liquids. The modes of operation of pistol grip nozzles have been adjusted to offer no flow, solid cone sprays and solid jet sprays. These liquid sprays are continuous patterns to achieve the waste of water. H. Chow and S. J. Goodman in U.S. Pat. No. 4,534,512 describe a pistol grip nozzle having a turret rotatable on a barrel to change the continuous spray patterns of water discharged from the nozzle. The discharged water does not change velocity or pulse as it exits from the nozzle. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention resides in a liquid pulsator useable with a pistol grip nozzle to discharge pulses of liquid, such as water, to a selected location. The pistol grip nozzle has a hand operated lever that is manually moved to control the flow of liquid to the pulsator attached to the nozzle. The pulsator has a case adapted to be mounted on the nozzle. Located within the case is a pulsator head that sequentially blocks the flow of liquid through orifices in the head to alter the flow velocity of the liquid exiting from the head thereby creating liquid pulses. The pulsator head includes a diverter that directs several streams of liquid toward an impeller. The moving streams of liquid rotate the impeller. The impeller has a member that intermittently blocks the flow of liquid through liquid discharge orifices in the head and allows liquid to flow through the orifices. This causes liquid pulses having different liquid flow rates. The pulsating liquid conserves liquid and increase cleaning effectiveness of the liquid discharged on a surface. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a fluid dispenser and fluid pulsator of the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a top view thereof; 
     FIG. 3 is a bottom view thereof; 
     FIG. 4 is a front elevational view thereof; 
     FIG. 5 is a rear elevational view thereof; 
     FIG. 6 is an enlarged side elevational view of the pulsator; 
     FIG. 7 is a front view of FIG. 6; 
     FIG. 8 is a rear view of FIG. 6; 
     FIG. 9 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line  9 — 9  of FIG. 7; 
     FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken along the line  10 — 10  of FIG. 9; 
     FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken along the line  11 — 11  of FIG. 9; 
     FIG. 12 is a sectional view taken along the line  12 — 12  of FIG. 9; 
     FIG. 13 is a sectional view taken along line  13 — 13  of FIG. 9; and 
     FIG. 14 is a sectional view taken along the line  14 — 14  of FIG.  9 . 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to FIGS. 1 to  5 , there is shown a fluid dispenser  20  joined to a fluid pulsator  21  operable to pulse fluid discharged from the dispenser. Dispenser  20  is a pistol grip hose nozzle having a body  22  joined to a downwardly directed handle  23 . A collar  24  joined to the lower end of handle  23  has internal threads  26  to accommodate external threads of a hose or tubular member carrying liquid, such as water, to dispenser  20 . Handle  23  has a passage  27  open to a passage (not shown) in body  22 . The flow of liquid through body  22  is controlled with a valve  28 . A hand operated lever  29  pivotally connected with a pivot pin  31  to handle  23  is manually moved to open valve  28  to allow fluid to flow through body  22  to pulsator  21 . A spring biases the valve to a closed position. Body  22  has an external threaded end  32  accommodating pulsator  21 . Examples of pistol grip hose nozzles are shown by H. Chow and S. J. Goodman in U.S. Pat. No. 4,534,512 and I. S. Chih in U.S. Pat. No. 5,630,548. The valve and lever structures of these patents are incorporated herein by reference. 
     Pulsator  21  has a cylindrical case or housing  33  threaded on the end  32  of body  22 . An outwardly directed rib  34  surrounds the mid section of case  33 . Circumferentially spaced axial ribs  36  on case  33  extend forwardly from rib  34  to facilitate turning of case  33  onto and off of end  32  of body  22 . As shown in FIG. 9, case  33  has a threaded internal wall  37  extended to an inwardly directed annular shoulder  38 . An annular rubber or plastic washer  39  located in engagement with shoulder  38  contacts the end  32  of body  22  when case  33  is threaded on end  32 . 
     As shown in FIG. 10, body  22  has a pair of grooves  41  and  42  open to a passage  43  accommodating opposite ends of a bar  44 . Bar  44  is an anchor for a nut  46  threaded onto a bolt  47 . Bolt  47  holds a pulsator head  48  in a pocket  49  in the outer end of case  33 . 
     Pulsator head  48  has a cup-shaped housing  51  having a central opening  52  open to passage  43 . An annular seal or O-ring  53  surrounding opening  52  engages an annular lip  54  on case  33  to prevent liquid from flowing around housing  51 . The inside of housing  51  has circumferentially spaced radial ribs  56  that direct liquid outwardly from opening  52 , shown by arrows  57  in FIG. 11, into an annular chamber  58 . A liquid diverter  59  having inclined openings  61  in an annular flange directs a number of streams of liquid, shown by arrows  62  in FIGS. 12 and 13, inwardly into a chamber  63 . Diverter  59  is a pan-shaped member having a circular flange or rim containing inclined openings  61 . The circular flange is spaced radially inwardly from housing  51  providing the inner annular wall of chamber  58 . The flange, shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, has eight inclined openings  61  circumferentially spaced around the flange. The size and number of inclined openings can vary to change the flow of liquid into central chamber  63 . 
     Returning to FIG. 9, a head  64  having holes or orifices  66  is clamped to housing  51  with bolt  47 . Bolt  47  threaded into nut  46  holds head  64  into engagement with housing  51  and forces O-ring  53  into sealing engagement with lip  54 . Housing  51  has an annular groove  67  containing an O-ring  68  that engages head  64  to prevent leakage of liquid between housing  51  and head  64 . Head  64  has an annular flange  69  telescoped into housing  51  to confine O-ring  68  to groove  67  and hold diverter  59  in engagement with ribs  56  to prevent rotation of diverter  59 . 
     Head  64  has an inwardly directed tubular boss  71  accommodating bolt  47  and providing a cylindrical support or bearing for an impeller  72 . Impeller  72  has a sleeve  73  rotatably mounted on boss  71 . Sleeve  73  is spaced from diverter  59  and bears against a small shoulder  75  on the inside of head  64 . Impeller  72  is free to rotate on boss  71 . A plurality of tangently directed blades or vanes  74  are joined to sleeve  73 . The outer ends of each vane  74  is spaced adjacent the inside of diverter  59  so that the jets of liquid flowing from inclined openings  61  impinge on the vanes causing impeller  72  to rotate on boss  71  in chamber  63 . As shown in FIGS. 12 to  14 , impeller  72  has eight vanes  74  circumferentially spaced around sleeve  73 . The number and shapes of the vanes can vary. An arcuate member  76  joined to adjacent vanes, as seen in FIGS.  9 ,  12  and  14 , sequentially covers holes  66  in head  64  as impeller  72  rotates in chamber  63 . The member  76  is a flat plate or baffle joined to ends of adjacent vanes and located adjacent the inside annular wall of head  64  and aligned with the holes  66  in head  64 . This causes the liquid flowing through holes  66  in head  64  to pulse as the flow of liquid to holes  66  is sequentially cut off and opened to chamber  63 . 
     In use, liquid dispenser  20  operates to control the flow of liquid to pulsator  21 . When dispenser valve  28  is open liquid under pressure flows through passage  43  in case  33  and through opening  52 . As shown in FIG. 11, radial ribs  56  divide the flow of liquid into separate streams shown by arrows  57 . The liquid flows into an annular chamber  58  surrounding diverter  59 . The inclined openings  61  in diverter  59  direct streams of water, shown by arrows  62 , into chamber  63  containing impeller  72 . The flowing liquid streams  62  rotate impeller  72 . The baffle  76  turns with impeller  72  to sequentially cover and uncover orifices  66  in head  64  to cause liquid to pulse as it exits from orifices  66 . The pressure of the liquid flowing through pulsator  21  determines the liquid pulse rate and velocity of liquid discharged from the pulsator. The pulse rate and velocity of the liquid increases as the pressure of the liquid increases.