Patent Publication Number: US-2004046048-A1

Title: Sprayer assembly for positioning hoses

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001] 1. Field of the Invention  
       [0002] The present invention relates to a sprayer assembly, and more particularly to a sprayer assembly for positioning hoses while spraying or sprinkling water.  
       [0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art  
       [0004] Various kinds of typical sprayer devices, or sprayer guns, or sprinklers have been developed for water spraying or sprinkling purposes. But, no one has addressed hose positioning heretofore. The hoses may damage the flowers or plants inadvertently while spraying the flowers or plants.  
       [0005] The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional sprayer devices.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006] The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a sprayer assembly for positioning hoses while spraying or sprinkling water, in order to prevent the hoses from damaging the flowers or plants inadvertently while spraying the flowers or plants.  
       [0007] In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a sprayer assembly comprising a hose, a post including an upper portion for supporting the hose, and including a lower portion having a tip formed thereon for engaging into ground, and a foot pedal including an opening formed therein for receiving the post, and for moving the foot pedal along the post, the foot pedal including a peripheral edge for forming the opening thereof, and engaged with the post for forcing the post into the ground when the foot pedal is moved downwardly by users.  
       [0008] The post includes at least one projection formed close to the tip of the post, the opening of the foot pedal includes at least one enlarged corner area for receiving the projection of the post, and for allowing the post to engage through the opening of the post.  
       [0009] The post includes an orifice formed in the upper portion thereof for receiving the hose.  
       [0010] A coupler is further provided and supported on the upper portion of the post and coupled to the hose. The post includes a depression formed in the upper portion thereof, the coupler includes a block received in the depression of the post.  
       [0011] The post includes a base panel and two side ribs for defining the depression thereof, the base panel includes an orifice formed therein. The block includes at least one flat surface formed thereon for engaging with the side ribs of the post and for preventing the block of the coupler from rotating relative to the post. The coupler may include a mouth engaged through the orifice of the base panel and coupled to the hose.  
       [0012] A hose receiver device may further be provided for receiving or supporting or storing the hose and may be attached to the post, and includes two arms each having an upper portion and a lower portion, a bar provided between the lower portions of the arms, and a handle provided on the upper portions of the arms.  
       [0013] The post includes at least one aperture formed therein, the hose includes at least one hook engageable into the aperture of the post, for attaching the receiver device to the post.  
       [0014] Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of a detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to accompanying drawings. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0015]FIG. 1 is a plan schematic view of a post of a sprayer assembly in accordance with the present invention, for supporting the hoses and/or faucets or the like;  
     [0016]FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a foot pedal for forcing the post into the ground;  
     [0017]FIGS. 3 and 4 are plan schematic views illustrating the engagement of the post into the ground;  
     [0018]FIG. 5 is a partial perspective view illustrating the support of a faucet on top of the post of the sprayer assembly;  
     [0019]FIG. 6 is a plan schematic view illustrating the operation of the sprayer assembly;  
     [0020]FIG. 7 is a partial exploded view of the sprayer assembly; and  
     [0021]FIG. 8 is another partial exploded view of the sprayer assembly, illustrating the attachment of a hose receiver device to the wall. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
     [0022] Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGS.  1 - 4 , a sprayer assembly in accordance with the present invention comprises a post  10  including a tip  11  formed or provided on the bottom portion thereof for engaging into the ground  90  (FIGS. 3, 4,  6 ).  
     [0023] One or two cusps or projections  19  may normally be formed between the post  10  and the tip  11  while forming the tip  11  by such as the forging processes. However, no projections  19  will be formed between the post  10  and the tip  11  or formed close to the tip  11 , if the post  10  and the tip  11  are formed by molding processes or the like.  
     [0024] A foot pedal  40  is provided for forcing the post  10  into the ground  90 , and includes an opening  41  formed in one end thereof for receiving the post  10 , and defined by a peripheral surface or edge  42  for engaging with the post  10 , and having two enlarged corner areas  46  for receiving the projections  19  of the post  10 .  
     [0025] As shown in FIG. 2, the peripheral edge  42  of the foot pedal  40  includes two side portions or segments  43 ,  44  for engaging with the post  10  (FIG. 3), and for forcing the post  10  downwardly or into the ground  90  when the users step onto the foot pedal  40 .  
     [0026] As best shown in FIG. 1, the foot pedal  40  may be easily and quickly moved or adjusted along the post  10  to the required position. As shown in FIG. 3, when the foot pedal  40  is forced and depressed or stepped by the users, the post  10  may be forced downwardly or into the ground  90  (FIGS. 4, 6).  
     [0027] The corner areas  46  of the opening  41  of the foot pedal  40  is formed and provided for allowing the projections  19  of the post  10  to move through or into opening  41  of the foot pedal  40 , if one or more projections  19  are formed or provided on the lower portion of the post  10  close to the tip  11  thereof.  
     [0028] The post  10  includes a depression  12  formed in the upper portion thereof, by such as a hammered or forged process or the like, and defined by a base panel  13  and two side ribs  14 , and includes an orifice  17  formed in the base panel  13  thereof.  
     [0029] In operation, as shown in FIG. 5, a faucet or a sprayer device or a sprinkler or a coupler  20  includes a block  22  formed or provided on one end thereof for being received in the depression  12  of the post  10 . The block  22  includes a non-circular cross section, such as a hexagonal cross section, having one or more flat surfaces  23  formed therein for engaging with the ribs  14  and for preventing the block  22  and thus the coupler  20  from being rotated relative to the post  10 .  
     [0030] The coupler  20  includes a mouth  24  provided on the one end thereof (FIG. 6) and engaged through the orifice  17  of the post  10 , and coupled to the faucet  21  of the house building with a hose  30  (FIG. 6), for allowing the water from the faucet  21  to flow to the coupler  20 . Another hose  31  may be coupled to the coupler  20  for spraying or sprinkling purposes.  
     [0031] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 7, a hose receiver device  6  may further be provided and includes a pair of arms  60 , and a bar  61  provided or secured or formed between the lower portion of the arms  60 , and having a curved upper surface for allowing the hose  62  to smoothly engage around the bar  61 .  
     [0032] The hose receiver device  6  includes one or more hooks  63  provided on one of the arms  60  for engaging into one or more apertures  15 ,  16  of the post  10 , and for detachably attaching or securing the hose receiver device  6  onto the post  10 . The arms  60  each includes a hole  64  formed in the upper portion thereof for receiving two ends  71  of a handle  70 .  
     [0033] Referring next to FIG. 8, the hooks  63  of the hose receiver device  6  may also be engaged into one or more apertures  81  of a bracket  80  which may be secured onto a supporting wall  91 , for detachably attaching or securing the hose receiver device  6  onto the wall  91  with the bracket  80 .  
     [0034] In operation, as shown in FIG. 6, the hoses  30 ,  31  may be positioned in place with the post  10 , for preventing the hoses  30 ,  31  from damaging the flowers or plants  93  inadvertently while spraying the flowers or plants.  
     [0035] It is to be noted that the hose  30  may also be directly engaged through the orifice  17  of the post  10 , and may thus be positioned in place without the coupler  20 . The hose receiver device  6  may optionally be provided for receiving or storing the hoses  62 ,  30 ,  31 .  
     [0036] Accordingly, the sprayer assembly in accordance with the present invention may be used for positioning hoses while spraying or sprinkling water, in order to prevent the hoses from damaging the flowers or plants inadvertently while spraying the flowers or plants.  
     [0037] Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.