Patent Publication Number: US-2007119869-A1

Title: Spray head

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      (1) Field of the Invention  
      The present invention relates to a spray head with less number of parts and the fluid in the container is not in contact with metal parts of the spray head.  
      (2) Description of the Prior Arts  
      A conventional spray head  100  for output liquid such as body lotion is shown in  FIG. 1  and generally includes a cap  101  with an output  101 a and a cylindrical member  102  which is connected to a container which is not shown. The cylindrical member  102  includes a through hole  102 a and a tube  103  has one end inserted into the through hole  102 a and the other end of the tube  103  extends through a cone-shaped member  104  and an inner tube  105  is in communication with the tube  103 . Two side holes  105 a are radially defined through a wall of the inner tube  105 . A spring  106  is mounted onto the inner tube  105  and a bead  107  is located at an end of the spring  106 . The bead  107  is movably inserted into a main body  108  which includes a passage and a suction tube  109  is inserted into the passage. When pushing the cap  101  toward the main body  108 , the air in the container is pushed out from the output  101 a and the bead  107  seal the passage in the main body  108 . A lower pressure area is formed in the container and the liquid in the container is then sucked into the main body  108  after the cap  101  is released. The liquid enters into the inner tube  105  via the side holes  105 a via a gap between the cone-shaped member  104  and the inner tube  105 . The liquid is pushed out from the output  101 a when the cap  101  is pushed again.  
      However, the spring  106  and the bead  107  are made by metal and a chemical reaction might happens between the liquid and the metal material and change the chemical status of the liquid and which might harmful to the users&#39; skin. Besides, there are too many parts are involved in the conventional spray head  100  and the make the manufacturing cost too high to compete with other products in the markets.  
      The present invention intends to provide a spray head which includes less number of parts and the liquid does not contact the metal part.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention relates to a spray head and includes a cap having an output and an insertion tube is in communication with the output. A cylindrical member has a recess defined in a first end thereof and the cap is movably engaged with the recess. An inner tube is located at a center of the cylindrical member and the insertion tube is movably inserted into the inner tube and a spring is mounted to the insertion tube and the inner tube. A seal member is connected to an end of the insertion tube from a second end of the cylindrical member, the seal member is snuggly engaged with an inner periphery of the inner tube and has a central hole. An axle has a first section inserted into the insertion tube from the second end of the cylindrical member and is fixed to the cap. A flange extends radially from the axle and a groove is defined in a top surface thereof. A distal end of the seal member is removably engaged with the groove. A second section of the axle extends from the flange which is located between the first section and the second section of the axle. A main body has a first open end mounted to the insertion tube from the second end of the cylindrical member and a suction tube is connected to a second open end of the main body. A mediate hole is defined in the main body and a holding neck encloses the mediate hole. The second section of the axle can be held by the holding neck and removably engaged with the mediate hole.  
      The present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is an exploded view to show a conventional spray head;  
       FIG. 2  is an exploded view to show the spray head of the present invention;  
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view to show the spray head of the present invention;  
       FIG. 4  is a cross sectional view of the spray head of the present invention;  
       FIG. 5  is a cross sectional view to show that the axle is lowered when the cap is pushed downward;  
       FIG. 6  is a cross sectional view to show that the liquid in the container is sucked into the insertion tube of the spray head of the present invention;  
       FIG. 7  is a cross sectional view to show that the liquid is pushed out from the output when the cap is pushed again;  
       FIG. 8  is a perspective view to show another embodiment of the spray head of the present invention;  
       FIG. 9  is a cross sectional view of the spray head of the present invention;  
       FIG. 10  is a cross sectional view to show that the axle is lowered when the cap is pushed downward;  
       FIG. 11  is a cross sectional view to show that the liquid in the container is sucked into the insertion tube of the spray head of the present invention, and  FIG. 12  is a cross sectional view to show that the liquid is pushed out from the output when the cap is pushed again. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
      Referring to FIGS.  2  to  4 , the spray head  10   a  of the present invention comprises a cap  1  having an output  11  and an insertion tube  12  connected to the cap  1  and is in communication with the output  11 .  
      A cylindrical member  3  has a recess defined in a first end thereof and the cap  1  is movably engaged with the recess. An inner tube  31  is located at a center of the cylindrical member  3  and a connection plate is connected between the inner tube  31  and an inner periphery of the cylindrical member  3  so as to position the inner tube  31 . The insertion tube  12  is movably inserted into the inner tube  31  and a spring  2  is mounted to the insertion tube  12  and the inner tube  31 . The spring  2  is biased between an inside of the cap  1  and the connection plate of the cylindrical member  3 . The cylindrical member  3  is connected with a container (not shown) in which liquid such as lotion is received.  
      A seal member  4  is connected to an end of the insertion tube  12  from a second end of the cylindrical member  3  and snuggly engaged with an inner periphery of the inner tube  31 . The seal member  4  has a central hole  41 .  
      An axle  5  has a first section inserted into the insertion tube  12  from the second end of the cylindrical member  3  and is fixed to the cap  1 . A plurality of axial grooves  51  are defined in an outer periphery of the first section. A flange  52  extending radially from the axle  5  and a groove  521  is defined in a top surface thereof. A second section  53  of the axle  5  extends from the flange  52  and the flange  52  is located between the first section and the second section  53  of the axle  5 .  
      A main body  6  has a first open end mounted to the insertion tube  12  from the second end of the cylindrical member  3  and a suction tube  7  is connected to a second open end of the main body  6 . The suction tube  7  is inserted into the container and merged in the liquid in the container. The main body  6  has a tapered inner periphery and includes a mediate hole  63  defined therein. A holding neck  64  encloses the mediate hole  63 .  
      As shown in  FIG. 5 , when pushing the cap  1  downward and toward the main body  6 , the second section  53  of the axle  5  is moved with the cap  1  and sized to be held by the holding neck  64  and removably engaged with the mediate hole  63 . The flange on the axle  5  is moved so that a distal end  42  of the seal member  4  is disengaged from the groove  521 , so that a gap  8  is defined between the distal end  42  of the seal member  4  and the flange of the axle  5 . The air in the cap  1  and the insertion tube  12  is pushed out from the output  11 .  
      As shown in  FIG. 6 , when releasing the cap  1  which his pushed upward by the spring  2 , the second section  53  of the axle  5  is removed from the mediate hole  63  and the distal end  42  of the seal member  4  is engaged with the groove  521  of the axle again. The liquid in the container is sucked into the inner tube  31  via the mediate hole  63 .  
      As shown in  FIG. 7 , when pushing the cap  1  again, the second section  53  of the axle  5  is engaged with the mediate hole  63  and the distal end  42  of the seal member  4  is disengaged from the groove  521  of the axle  5 . The liquid enters into the inner tube  12  and is squeezed out from the output  11  via the axial grooves  51 . It is noted that the liquid is not in contact with the metal part such as the spring  2  and the number of the parts is less than that of the conventional spray head.  
       FIGS. 8 and 9  show another embodiment of the spray head  10   b  which includes a cap  1  having an output  11  and an insertion tube  12  connected to the cap  1  and is in communication with the output  11 .  
      A cylindrical member  3  has a recess defined in a first end thereof and the cap  1  is movably engaged with the recess. An inner tube  31  is located at a center of the cylindrical member  3  and a connection plate is connected between the inner tube  31  and an inner periphery of the cylindrical member  3  so as to position the inner tube  31 . The insertion tube  12  is movably inserted into the inner tube  31  and a spring  2  is mounted to the insertion tube  12  and the inner tube  31 . The spring  2  is biased between an inside of the cap  1  and the connection plate of the cylindrical member  3 . The cylindrical member  3  is connected with a container (not shown) in which liquid such as lotion is received.  
      A seal member  4  is connected to an end of the insertion tube  12  from a second end of the cylindrical member  3  and snuggly engaged with an inner periphery of the inner tube  31 . The seal member  4  has a central hole  41 .  
      An axle  5  has a first section inserted into the insertion tube  12  from the second end of the cylindrical member  3  and is fixed to the cap  1 . A plurality of axial grooves  51  are defined in an outer periphery of the first section. A flange  52  extending radially from the axle  5  and a groove  521  is defined in a top surface thereof. A second section  53  of the axle  5  extends from the flange  52  and the flange  52  is located between the first section and the second section  53  of the axle  5 .  
      A main body  6  has a first open end mounted to the insertion tube  12  from the second end of the cylindrical member  3  and a suction tube  7  is connected to a second open end of the main body  6 . The suction tube  7  is inserted into the container and merged in the liquid in the container. The main body  6  has a tapered inner periphery and includes a first chamber  61 a in which the second section  53  of the axle  5  is located and a second chamber  62  in which a seal piece  9  is received therein. The  1   5  seal piece  9  has an open end  91  and a close end  92 . A mediate hole  63  is defined in a flange in the second chamber  62 . The second section  53  of the axle  5  is sized to be inserted into the open end  91  of the seal piece  9  and the close end  92  of the seal piece  9  removably seals the mediate hole  63 .  
      As shown in  FIG. 10 , when pushing the cap  1  downward and toward the main body  6 , the second section  53  of the axle  5  is moved with the cap  1  and inserted into the open end  91  of the seal piece  9  which is moved to seal the mediate hole  63  by the close end  92  of the seal piece  9 . The flange on the axle  5  is moved so that a distal end  42  of the seal member  4  is disengaged from the groove  521 , so that a gap  8  is defined between the distal end  42  of the seal member  4  and the flange of the axle  5 . The air in the cap  1  and the insertion tube  12  is pushed out from the output  11 .  
      As shown in  FIG. 11 , when releasing the cap  1  which his pushed upward by the spring  2 , the second section  53  of the axle  5  is removed from the seal piece  9  and the mediate hole  63  is opened because the close end  92  of the seal piece  9  is moved upward with the second section  53  of the axle  5 . The distal end  42  of the seal member  4  is engaged with the groove  521  of the axle again. The liquid in the container is sucked into the inner tube  31  via the mediate hole  63 .  
      As shown in  FIG. 12 , when pushing the cap  1  again, the second section  53  of the axle  5  is engaged with the seal piece  9  and the mediate hole  63  is sealed again by the close end  92  of the seal piece  9 . The distal end  42  of the seal member  4  is disengaged from the groove  521  of the axle  5 . The liquid enters into the inner tube  12  and is squeezed out from the output  11  via the axial grooves  51 .  
      While we have shown and described the embodiment in accordance with the present invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.