Patent Publication Number: US-8528841-B2

Title: Spray switch for spray gun

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to spray switch for spray gun, and particular to a spray switch arranged to a press handle for controlling the water spray. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , prior public patent about a spray gun having a press handle pivoted to a handle of the spray gun for controlling water flow is descript in the following. 
     A spray gun main body  10  consists of a nozzle  12  transversely connected to a vertical main pipe  11 . A vertical shaft  13  is formed to a peripheral of the main pipe  11  below the nozzle  12 . A platform  14  is formed to a bottom of the nozzle  12  in front of the vertical shaft  13 . A side pipe  111  extends from a middle of the main pipe  11 . A sliding shaft  15  is sealed slid into the side pipe  111 . A valve shaft  16  is arranged inside the main pipe  11  below the side pipe  111 . Around a peripheral of a bottom end of the main pipe  10 , symmetric lateral slots  112  and rear slots  113  are formed. The main pipe  11  is surrounded by a handle  17 . The handle  17  is open on the side of the side pipe  111 . A compress spring  20  is slid around the side pipe  111 , one end of the compress spring  20  is pushed against a junction of the main pipe  11  and the side pipe  111  and another end thereof is pushed against a flange  151  formed to an end of the side pipe  111 . 
     An approximate square elastic wire  30  is buckled into the rear slots  113  with a middle section of the elastic wire  30 . Two parallel sections extending from the middle section of the elastic wire  30  are buckled into the lateral slots  112 . The two end of the elastic wire  30  are bent towards each other so as to form as two symmetric guide pins  32 . 
     A hollow press handle  40  has a receiving chamber  41  inside the handle  40 . Two symmetric holes  42  are formed to an upper end of the press handle  40  so that the press handle  42  is pivoted to the vertical shaft  13  of the main body  10 . An open side of the press handle  40  is faced to the handle  17 , and a part of the open side of the press handle  40  can be inserted into the open side of the handle  17 . A slot  43  is formed to a bottom of the receiving chamber  41 , a guide block  44  is fixed to the slot  43 . A predetermined space is formed between the two lateral sides of the guide block  44  and the opposite inner wall of the receiving chamber  41 . Two symmetric guide slots  441  and recesses  442  are formed to the two lateral sides of the guide block  44  respectively. 
     Normally, the flange  151  is push against an inner wall of the press handle  40 . By the compress spring  20  pushing, the sliding shaft  15  pushes the press handle  40  so that a top of the press handle  40  is contacted to the platform  14  of the nozzle  12 . 
     While water comes into the main pipe  11 , the valve shaft  16  inside the main pipe  11  will be pushed upwards by the water flow to seal an inlet of the main pipe  11 . In the mean time, an upper end of the valve shaft  16  contacts to an end of the sliding shaft  15  inside the side pipe  111 . 
     While the press handle  40  is pushed towards the handle  17 , the guide block  44  will be moved towards the guide pin  32 . The guide pins  32  will be bent upwards and slid along an upper rim of the recesses  442  and an upper rim of the guides  441  while the press handle  40  is firstly pressed, the guide pins  32  will be held into the recesses  442  while the press handle  40  is released so that the spray gun is able to continuous spray water as the press handle  40  is held. Also, the sliding shaft  15  is slid into the side pipe  111  and the valve shaft  16  is thus pushed so that water will flow into the main pipe  11 . 
     After the second press and release of the press handle  40 , the guide pins  32  will leave the recesses  442  and the press handle  40  is back to the origin position by the force of the compress spring  20 . 
     Two Japan patents of no. JP-A-2005-138056 and JP-A-2009-22848 also have the same function with the above technique. The spray nozzle can continuously spray by a single pressing. 
     However, such spray nozzle does not have other operating mode. The water flow can not be controlled by the handle. 
     SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
     Accordingly, the primary object of the present invention is to provide a spray switch for spray gun capable of switch between operation modes of auto spray and manual spray with water flow control. 
     To achieve above object, the spray switch includes an elastic wire buckled to a main pipe of the spray gun. The elastic wire has symmetric lateral portions and symmetric guide pins on two ends thereof. A press handle pivoted to a main body of the spray gun is capable of control a flow of water. The press handle has an open slot for slidly arranging the spray switch. The spray switch is assembled by a guide block and a buckle unit. The guide block has symmetric guides and recesses on two lateral sides for guiding and holding the guide pins. The spray switch can be switched up and down along the open slot to switch the guide block for engaging or ignoring the guide pins so as to switch the spray gun between modes of auto spray and manual spray. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing a spray switch of a prior art. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view showing a spray switch and a press handle of a prior art. 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded view showing a preferable embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic view showing a bottom of a main pipe of the preferable embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a rear view showing a buckle unit of the spray switch of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a rear view showing a guide block of the spray switch of the present invention. 
         FIG. 7  is an assembly view of the preferable embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 8  is a cross-section view of  FIG. 7  along an A-A line. 
         FIG. 9  is a rear view showing the press handle of the preferable embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view ( 1 ) showing the assembly of the present invention. 
         FIG. 11  is a schematic view showing an operation of the present invention. 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective view ( 2 ) showing the assembly of the present invention. 
         FIG. 13  is a schematic view showing the operation of  FIG. 12 . 
         FIG. 14  is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     In order that those skilled in the art can further understand the present invention, a description will be provided in the following in details. However, these descriptions and the appended drawings are only used to cause those skilled in the art to understand the objects, features, and characteristics of the present invention, but not to be used to confine the scope and spirit of the present invention defined in the appended claims. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3 to 10 , a preferable embodiment of a spray switch for spray gun according to the present invention is illustrated. A main body  10  of the spray gun has a vertical main pipe  11 , a nozzle  12  is horizontally connected to the main pipe  11  on a top thereof. A transverse shaft  13  is arranged to the main pipe  11  below the nozzle  12 . A platform  14  is formed to a bottom of the nozzle  12  in front of the transverse shaft  13 . A side pipe  111  extends from a middle of the main pipe  11 . A sliding shaft  15  is sealed slid into the side pipe  111 . A valve shaft  16  is arranged inside the main pipe  11  below the side pipe  111 . Around a peripheral of a bottom end of the main pipe  10 , symmetric lateral slots  112  and rear slots  113  are formed. The main pipe  11  is surrounded by a handle  17 . The handle  17  has an open on the side of the side pipe  111 . A compress spring  20  is slid around the side pipe  111 , one end of the compress spring  20  is pushed against a junction of the main pipe  11  and the side pipe  111  and another end thereof is pushed against a flange  151  formed to an end of the sliding shaft  15 . 
     An approximate square elastic wire  30  is buckled into the rear slots  113  with a middle, section of the elastic wire  30 . Two parallel lateral sections  31  extending from the middle section of the elastic wire  30  are buckled into the lateral slots  112 . The two end of the elastic wire  30  are bent towards each other so as to form as two symmetric guide pins  32 . 
     A hollow press handle  40  has a receiving chamber  41  inside the handle  40 . Two symmetric holes  42  are formed to an upper end of the press handle  40  for being pivoted to the vertical shaft  13  of the main body  10 . An open side of the press handle  40  is faced to the handle  17 , and a part of the press handle  40  can be received into the open side of the handle  17 . The flange  151  is push against an inner wall of the press handle  40 . By the compress spring  20 , the sliding shaft  15  pushes the press handle  40  so that a top of the press handle  40  will be stopped by the platform  14  below the nozzle  12 . 
     While water comes into the main pipe  11 , the valve shaft  16  inside the main pipe  11  will be pushed upwards by the water flow so that an upper end of the valve shaft  16  will seal an inlet of the main pipe  11 . In the mean time, the upper end of the valve shaft  16  will touch an end of the sliding shaft  15  of the side pipe  111 . While the press handle  40  is pushed towards the handle  17 , the sliding shaft  15  is slid along the side pipe  111  and the valve shaft  16  will be pushed away from the inlet so that water will flow into the main pipe  11 . 
     The description above is about the spray gun. The spray switch  46  according to the present invention has a guide block  461  and a buckle unit  462 . An open slot  45  is formed to a lower end of the receiving chamber  41  of the press handle  40 . The spray switch  46  is arranged to the open  45  and can be switched up and down in the open slot  45 . 
     The guide block  461  has a sliding hole  4611  for receiving the buckle unit  462 . A stopper  4612  is formed to two inner lateral walls of the sliding hole  46  respectively. A guide  4613  is formed to two lateral sides of the guide block  461  respectively for guiding the guide pin  32 . A recess  4614  is formed near an end of the guide  4613  for temporary holding the guide pin  32 . 
     The buckle unit  462  is arranged to the open slot  45  and can be switched up and down through the open slot  45 . An end of the buckle unit  462  is enlarged as an enlarged portion  4621 , and the width of the enlarged portion  4621  is wider than the width of the open slot  45  so that the buckle unit  462  can be arranged to the open slot  45  without falling into the receiving chamber  41 . An elastic protrusion  4622  is formed to two lateral sides of the buckle unit  462  respectively. 
     The buckle unit  462  passing through the open slot  45  is inserted into the guide block  461  inside the receiving chamber  41 . By the elastic protrusions  4622  being buckled to the stoppers  4612  inside the sliding hole  4611 , the spray switch  46  is arranged to the open slot  45  and can be switched up and down along the open slot  45 . 
     Therefore, the guide pins  32  will not contact the guide block  461  while the spray switch  46  are switched to an up position along the open slot  45 . The spray gun can be operated by holding or releasing the press handle  40  to spray or not to spray as shown in  FIGS. 12 and 13 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 10 and 11 , the spray switch  46  is switched to a down position along the open slot  45 . The guide pins  32  will be bent upwards and slid along an upper rim of the recesses  4614  and an upper rim of the guides  4613  while the press handle  40  is firstly pressed, the guide pins  32  will be held into the recesses  4614  while the press handle  40  is released so that the press handle  40  will remain pressed and the spray gun will continuously spray water. After the second press and release the press handle  40 , the guide pins  32  will leave the recesses  4614  and the press handle  40  is back to the origin position. 
     Therefore, the above assembly is capable of switching between two spray modes of manually controlling the press handle for spraying or continuous spraying by a single press depending on the needs. 
     Moreover, to ensure the spray switch  46  is actually switched to the up and the down positions, symmetric upper cuts  451  and symmetric lower cuts  452  are formed to the open slot  45 . The buckle unit  462  has symmetric protrusions  4623  on two lateral sides for engaging the cuts  451  and  452  while the spray switch  46  is switched. 
     The above preferable embodiment has the press handle  40  pivoted to the same side of the nozzle. However, it is not the only embodiment of the present invention. Referring to  FIG. 14 , the press handle  40  with the spray switch  46  can be also pivoted to a relative rear side of the nozzle  12 . 
     The present invention is thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the present invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.