Patent Publication Number: US-2011062185-A1

Title: Spray bottle assembly

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a Continuation-in-Part Application of, under 35 U.S.C. §121, and claims priority to, under 35 U.S.C. §121, U.S. Non-Provisional application Ser. No. 11/278,776, entitled Spray Bottle System, by C. Justin McFarland, filed on Apr. 5, 2006. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to spray bottle assemblies, more specifically a spray bottle assembly that maintains a constant access of fluid to the spray pump. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     In the related art, it has been known to use devices for spraying various liquids. Spray devices have been developed for applying cleaning products, pesticides, and aromatics to name a few. Such spray devices have allowed for convenience and portable spraying of many surfaces but have previously been limited in the direction and scope of their ability to spray surfaces from any direction without interruption. Certain spray devices containing an inner reservoir incorporate holes in the outer bottle exposing the inner reservoir to accidental or intentional tampering thus compromising the integrity of the spray device. Further, contemporary spray devices have been unable to discharge completely the various products they contain. Therefore there is a need to effectively spray apply solutions to difficult to reach surfaces without interruption of liquid flow from the spray device, enabling the contents of the spray device to be discharged completely, as well as to provide a tamperproof inner reservoir version of the same. 
     The inventions referenced have numerous disadvantages including unreliability, limited spray direction and scope, sporadically interrupted spray flow, exposure to tampering, and inability to use the entire contents of the spray bottle. 
     What is needed is a spray bottle assembly that overcomes one or more of the deficiencies described herein and/or any additional deficiencies that may be realized by someone who is skilled in the art as they become familiar with this specification. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention has been developed in response to the present state of the art, and in particular, in response to the problems and needs in the art that have not yet been fully solved by currently available spray bottle system. Accordingly, the present invention has been developed to provide a spray bottle system that allows nearly all of a spray bottle contents to be fully discharged during spraying, and which allows operation of the spray bottle over a very wide range of spray angles. 
     According to one embodiment of the invention, there is a spray bottle assembly has been developed in response to deficiencies in the current state of the art and relates to an inexpensive and integrally formed and assembled spray bottle that is able to outperform its contemporaries in function and application. 
     In one embodiment, the spray bottle assembly includes a vented retaining ring adjacent to a protective outer enclosure and inner collapsible reservoir with the inner collapsible reservoir being integral to the inner portion of the protective outer enclosure and the vented retaining ring, being between the two, permitting fluid communication between an interior and exterior of the protective outer enclosure. The retaining ring is integral to the inner collapsible reservoir and when placed upon the protective outer enclosure, the underside slot forms the vent between the interior and exterior of the protective outer enclosure. The trigger pump having a shroud is connected to the integrally assembled inner collapsible reservoir, the vented retaining ring, and the protective outer enclosure, and covers the vented retaining ring without substantially restricting fluid communication there through creating a tamper proof barrier to the inner collapsible reservoir through the vent. A conduit is disposed within the inner collapsible reservoir having a lattice of apertures and forming a screen through which the trigger pump draws liquid from the inner collapsible reservoir. 
     An advantage of the integrally formed and assembled spray bottle assembly is that it maintains a constant open access of the fluid within the reservoir, to the trigger pump, allowing uninterrupted and complete use of the spray bottle assembly and the product it contains regardless of the direction the bottle is oriented. Another advantage of the integrally formed and assembled spray bottle assembly is that the inner collapsible reservoir is resistant to tampering as being enclosed by the protective outer enclosure and the shroud of the trigger pump, when combined, without substantially restricting fluid communication there through via the vented retaining ring. 
     In another embodiment, there is a spray bottle system, including one or more of: a protective outer enclosure having an opening; an inner collapsible reservoir that may be configured to be secured to the neck of the protective outer enclosure, and/or configured to be placed inside of the protective outer enclosure, wherein the inner collapsible reservoir may be further configured to carry liquid content to be sprayed by the spray bottle system; a conduit that may be configured to facilitate transfer of liquid content from the collapsible reservoir; a spray head that may be configured to be coupled to the conduit and/or configured to pump and spray content liquid from the collapsible reservoir; and/or a vented retaining ring that may be configured to secure the inner collapsible reservoir to the neck of the protective outer enclosure, and/or including one or more of: a channel that may have a first aperture and/or a second aperture; wherein the first aperture may through an outer wall of the retaining ring and/or the second aperture may open through a bottom wall of the retaining ring; a support member that may be adjacent the channel and/or configured to structurally support the channel; and/or a sealing member that may be shaped and/or positioned to provide a fluid tight seal between the bladder and the spray head. 
     It may be that the inner collapsible reservoir further includes a refilling port that may be configured to allow the refillable liquid content bladder to be refilled with liquid. The refilling port may include a one-way valve. The vented retaining ring may be molded onto the spray bottle neck. The sealing member of the vented retaining ring may include threads that may be configured to couple to a threaded collar of the spray bottle neck, thereby providing a seal between the vented retaining ring and the spray bottle neck. The conduit may be coupled to the spray head. 
     The foregoing features and advantages of the invention will become more fully apparent upon consideration of the following descriptions and in conjunction with the accompanying drawings that correspond to each. 
     Reference throughout this specification to features, advantages, or similar language does not imply that all of the features and advantages that may be realized with the present invention should be or are in any single embodiment of the invention. Rather, language referring to the features and advantages is understood to mean that a specific feature, advantage, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, discussion of the features and advantages, and similar language, throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, refer to the same embodiment. 
     Furthermore, the described features, advantages, and characteristics of the invention may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize that the invention can be practiced without one or more of the specific features or advantages of a particular embodiment. In other instances, additional features and advantages may be recognized in certain embodiments that may not be present in all embodiments of the invention. 
     These features and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, or may be learned by the practice of the invention as set forth hereinafter. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In order for the advantages of the invention to be readily understood, a more particular description of the invention briefly described above will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments that are illustrated in the appended drawing(s). It is noted that the drawings of the invention are not to scale. The drawings are mere schematics representations, not intended to portray specific parameters of the invention. Understanding that these drawing(s) depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are not, therefore, to be considered to be limiting its scope, the invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawing(s), in which: 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded view of a spray bottle system, according to one embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of a spray bottle system, according to one embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a top and side elevation view of the preferred embodiment of the vented retaining ring; 
         FIG. 4  is a bottom and side elevation view of the preferred embodiment of the vented retaining ring; 
         FIG. 5  is a top and side elevation view of the preferred embodiment of the assembly of the integrally connected vented retaining ring and inner collapsible reservoir within the protective outer enclosure showing how the assembly may be combined with the trigger pump having a shroud; 
         FIG. 6  is a partial sectional view of the preferred embodiment of the assembly comprising the vented retaining ring, the protective outer enclosure, and the inner collapsible reservoir; 
         FIG. 7  is a top and side elevation view of the preferred embodiment of the assembly of the vented retaining ring and the inner collapsible reservoir; and 
         FIG. 8  is a side view of the preferred embodiment of the cylindrical screened conduit. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawing(s), and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended. Any alterations and further modifications of the inventive features illustrated herein, and any additional applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated herein, which would occur to one skilled in the relevant art and having possession of this disclosure, are to be considered within the scope of the invention. 
     Reference throughout this specification to an “embodiment,” an “example” or similar language means that a particular feature, structure, characteristic, or combinations thereof described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases an “embodiment,” an “example,” and similar language throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, all refer to the same embodiment, to different embodiments, or to one or more of the figures. Additionally, reference to the wording “embodiment,” “example” or the like, for two or more features, elements, etc. does not mean that the features are necessarily related, dissimilar, the same, etc. 
     Each statement of an embodiment, or example, is to be considered independent of any other statement of an embodiment despite any use of similar or identical language characterizing each embodiment. Therefore, where one embodiment is identified as “another embodiment,” the identified embodiment is independent of any other embodiments characterized by the language “another embodiment.” The features, functions, and the like described herein are considered to be able to be combined in whole or in part one with another as the claims and/or art may direct, either directly or indirectly, implicitly or explicitly. 
     As used herein, “comprising,” “including,” “containing,” “is,” “are,” “characterized by,” and grammatical equivalents thereof are inclusive or open-ended terms that do not exclude additional unrecited elements or method steps. “Comprising” is to be interpreted as including the more restrictive terms “consisting of” and “consisting essentially of.” 
       FIGS. 1 and 2  illustrate a spray bottle system  100  capable of discharging substantially all of the liquid contents, is refillable, and can operate over all spray angles of typical interest. 
     A molded spray bottle container (or protective outer enclosure)  102  provides housing and protection for a refillable content bladder (or inner collapsible reservoir)  114 . In one embodiment of the invention, the spray bottle container  102  includes threads  106  located on its neck. The liquid content bladder  114  contains a seal  118  used to seal the bladder  114  with the bottle neck  106 . The seal  118  contains threads  122  for mating with the threaded collar  138  of a spray head  134 . 
     As more liquid is displaced, the bladder  114  contracts around the suction tube (or conduit)  126  until almost all the liquid contents have been expelled. To eliminate the inherent vacuum that would form between the bladder and the inside wall of the spray bottle, several air ports  110  are formed or drilled through the wall of the spray bottle. The purpose of the air portals is to equalize the air pressure on both sides of the spray bottle wall, and thus eliminate an internal vacuum. 
     To allow the spray bottle system to operate at a myriad of tilt angles, the suction tube  126  contains several tube holes  130  along its length. This allows the bladder liquid to enter the suction tube at various locations, and not be limited to the tube end. The tube holes  130  are believed to facilitate capillary action to help remove all of the liquid from the bladder, regardless of the bottle tilt angle. 
     In one embodiment of the invention, the bladder  114  contains a refilling port  154 , which can be exposed to the outside through a refilling port opening  152 . As a matter of design choice, the refilling port and the refilling port opening can be affixed, although this need not be the case. The refilling port  154  can also be as simple as a one way valve. In such a case, a rigid or semi-rigid refilling tube can be inserted into the bladder via the refilling port. The refilling tube can be connected to a refill bulb or refill bladder, which when squeezed, forces liquid content into the liquid content bladder  114 . 
     The bladder  114  need not be attached to the spray bottle container in the manner described above. In fact, it may be sealed to the bottle neck during manufacturing. Also, other mechanisms beside the specific seal ( 118 ) embodiment can be used. 
     In one embodiment of the invention of the spray bottle system is illustrated in  FIG. 2 . The system  200  is the same as the system  100 , except that a simple bladder seal  218  replaces the seal  118  and threads  122 . In this simpler version, the bladder seal  218  fits on the top of the bottle neck  106  and is mated directly to the spray head  134  by screwing the spray head onto the bottle neck to provide a vacuum seal. The bladder seal can be of any suitable material, but is preferably non-rigid, such as rubber, flexible plastic, and the like to provide a suitable seal. 
       FIGS. 3 and 4  illustrate a vented retaining ring  30  having a flat solid top edge  32  and an interior cylindrical wall  34  configured to be fluid impermeable from the top edge of the interior wall  36  to the bottom edge of the interior wall  38 . The vented retaining ring  30  includes an outer cylindrical wall  40  having a series of radial slots (or channels)  42  extending through a portion of the outer wall  40  and also through a portion of the bottom edge of the interior wall  38 . The radial slots  42  are configured to form vents when assembled and is positioned adjacent to a protective outer enclosure. The slots  42  are adjacent a support member configured to structurally support the channel and a sealing member shaped and positioned to provide a fluid tight seal between the bladder and the spray head. 
       FIG. 5  illustrates a spray bottle assembly, according to one embodiment of the invention. The spray bottle assembly  10  includes an integrally assembled vented retaining ring  30  and an inner collapsible reservoir  50  within a protective outer enclosure  52 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , the spray bottle assembly  10  forms a double walled reservoir and is sealed to and combined with a trigger pump  54  having a shroud  56  that covers the vented retaining ring  30  without substantially restricting fluid, or air, communication there through. The shroud  56  covers the vented retaining ring  30  thereby closing off the inner collapsible reservoir  50  from being compromised by intentional tampering or accidental puncturing through a slot  42  of the retaining ring  30 . The slots  42  of the retaining ring  30  are sized to permit fluid communication there through, between the interior and exterior of the protective outer enclosure  52 ; thus preventing a vacuum between the exterior of the inner collapsible reservoir  50  and an interior of the protective outer enclosure  52 , and allowing the general extended use of the spray bottle assembly  10 . The inner collapsible reservoir  50  is sealed to the trigger pump  54  preventing air from entering into the interior of the collapsible reservoir  50 . 
       FIG. 5  illustrated a spray bottle assembly, according to one embodiment of the invention. The spray bottle assembly  10  includes an inner reservoir  50  that collapses around a cylindrical screened conduit  60  as the fluid contents of the inner collapsible reservoir  50  are discharged through the trigger pump  54 . As the inner reservoir  50  collapses around the cylindrical screened conduit  60 , fluid is forced into contact with the conduit  60  making the fluid available to the trigger pump  54  at all times and in any orientation of the spray bottle assembly  10 . The rigid cylindrical screened conduit  60  maintains an inner open conduit area within the inner collapsible reservoir  50  from the top of the assembly  58  to the bottom of the assembly  59 . 
       FIG. 6  illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of an assembly of the vented retaining ring  30  adjacent to the opening of the protective outer enclosure  52  and the inner collapsible reservoir  50 , according to one embodiment of the invention. The inner collapsible reservoir  50  is not selectably removable from the vented retaining ring  30 . A slot  42  on the underside of the retaining ring  30  permits fluid, or air, communication between an interior wall  66  and an exterior wall  62  of the protective outer enclosure  52 . 
       FIG. 7  illustrates an assembly of the vented retaining ring  30  and the inner collapsible reservoir  50 , according to one embodiment of the invention. The collapsible reservoir is not selectably removable from the vented retaining ring  30 . 
       FIG. 8  illustrates a conduit, according to one embodiment of the invention. The conduit  60  is composed of a rigid outer cylindrical screen  38  having a lattice of apertures  70  which allow fluid within an inner collapsible reservoir to freely pass through into an interior of the conduit  60  maintaining a constant availability of fluid to a trigger pump of the spray bottle assembly. 
     It is understood that the above-described embodiments are only illustrative of the application of the principles of the present invention. The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiment is to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope. 
     It is expected that there could be numerous variations of the design of this invention. 
     Finally, it is envisioned that the components of the device may be constructed of a variety of materials. 
     Thus, while the present invention has been fully described above with particularity and detail in connection with what is presently deemed to be the most practical and preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that numerous modifications, including, but not limited to, variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use may be made, without departing from the principles and concepts of the invention as set forth in the claims. Further, it is contemplated that an embodiment may be limited to consist of or to consist essentially of one or more of the features, functions, structures, methods described herein.