Patent Publication Number: US-2010108779-A1

Title: Spraying Device With Liquid Adjustment Mechanism

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation-in-part of PCT Patent Application PCT/IB2007/003250 filed Oct. 29, 2007, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety, which claims the benefit of Chinese Patent Application 200620149198.0 filed Oct. 30, 2006, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to spraying devices, a perfume or Eau de Cologne Sprayer and/or a Paint Sprayer and/or a portable multipurpose spraying mechanism. More particularly, the invention comprises a spraying device having two liquid fragrance containers, or liquid paint containers; wherein the contents of both liquid containers are up-taken and mixed by degree by means of the device pump or uptake assembly, and the user can regulate, by means of the liquid adjustment mechanism, the amount of each liquid up-taken. The outcome is a custom mixture from two liquid containers. The present invention enables users to have a different fragrance, and/or a different color, or mixture variation of other kinds of liquids, on demand. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     At present, there are some sprayers with liquid adjustment mechanisms; such liquid adjustment mechanisms may adjust the amount of liquid by placing valves or other adjustment mechanisms within the passages of liquid. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,634,571, the selector member is in liquid communication with the first and second passages in the manifold member, it is selectably rotatable to different positions, in which opening of the selector member is selectively in liquid communication with portions of passages with portions of outlets of passages blocked. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,568,883, the selector member is in liquid communication with the manifold member, and it is selectably rotatable to different positions, in which opening of the selector member is selectively in liquid communication with portions of passages with portions of outlets of passages blocked. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,009,342, the valve assembly is connected with compartments and the spray pump, and adjustment of the amount of different liquids is realized by parts of this valve assembly. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,385,270, the selector member is in liquid communication with the manifold member, and it is selectably rotatable to different positions, in which opening of the selector member is selectively in liquid communication with portions of passages with portions of outlets of passages blocked. 
     However, the sprayers mentioned above have complicated structures and the liquid to be adjusted must go through the adjustment devices, which therefore may result in possible contamination therefrom. The present invention adjusts the up-taken contents of its containers without liquid contact ever being achieved by the liquid adjustment device. This is achieved by the unique adjustment mechanism of the present invention which uses rollers to selectively compress and decompress flexible portions of the feeding tubes. 
     None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a liquid sprayer which has a liquid pump, in the case of the fragrance sprayer embodiment, or a pressurized spray mechanism in the case of the paint sprayer and/or pressurized fragrance embodiment. The device has two liquid containers which contain different fragrances or different color liquid paints. The adjustment mechanism mixes the liquids from the two provided liquid containers in proportions determined by the user by sliding the adjustment knob. The liquid fragrance containers and/or liquid paint containers are easily replaceable by just unscrewing one to remove it and screwing another one in its place, allowing for a variety of different liquids to be mixed in desired proportions. By using an instruction guide, the user can create a variety of fragrances and/or colors. 
     The liquid adjustment mechanism comprises two adjustment members, such as rollers, and two sloped surfaces located under two flexible tubes respectively. Each sloped surface is configured, respectively, so that the height of the surface changes along the longitudinal direction of the corresponding flexible tube and in the pathway of the motion of corresponding roller, so that the flexible tubes are longitudinally placed against the extending sloped surfaces respectively. Two rollers are placed above the flexible tubes respectively and corresponding roller may move longitudinally along the upper outside surface of the flexible tube on the sloped surface. The sloped surfaces slope in the direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the flexible tubes. The two sloped surfaces intersect with each other at the center point of adjustment mechanism assembly housing. This intersection is the peak height of the sloped surfaces where their highest ends are, with the lowest ends being at the opposite end of each sloped surface, respectively. 
     Since the adjustment members move along a horizontal path but the flexible tubes are on a sloped surface, the pressure exerted by an adjustment member on the corresponding flexible tube is at a minimum when it is at the lowest end of the slope, accordingly, the flow passage inside the flexible tube is at its widest. The pressure exerted by the adjustment member gradually increases as the adjustment member moves towards the tube&#39;s highest end, causing the flow passage inside the flexible tube to become narrower correspondingly. When the adjustment member arrives at the tube&#39;s highest end, the pressure is at a maximum and, accordingly, the flow passage inside the flexible tube is the narrowest, or entirely blocked. 
     As a result, when an adjustment members is at a tube&#39;s lowest end, the amount of liquid that flows through the flexible tube is at a maximum, and it gradually decreases as the adjustment member moves towards the tube&#39;s highest end, at which point the flow of liquid is either at a minimum or blocked entirely. 
     The adjustment members are fixed to a frame and move simultaneously in the same direction, but since the highest end of the sloped surfaces are facing each other with the lowest ends being at the other two opposite ends, during the movement of the frame when the pressure of one adjustment member increases on a corresponding tube, the pressure exerted by the other adjustment member on the other tube decreases correspondingly, and vice versa. 
     Consequently, moving the frame results in changing the amount of flow in the tubes in opposite ratios with respect to each other. Therefore, by sliding an adjustment knob which is fixed to the frame, the user can increase the amount of liquid up taken from one container while simultaneously decreasing the amount of liquid up taken from the other container, thereby controlling the mixture ratio of the two liquids before dispensing. 
     In another embodiment of the present invention, there is no adjustment knob, and two detachable containers filled with pressurized content are screwed into the sprayer; the proportion of the content taken from each container is equal. Therefore, by pressing the pump—or alternatively a trigger—the output would be an even mixture of the content of the containers. 
     Accordingly, it&#39;s the principle object of the present invention to provide a fragrance sprayer and/or paint sprayer that has two liquid containers which can be replaced. 
     It is another object of the invention to provide liquid containers which are filled with various fragrances, liquids, creams, gels, lotions and alternately pressurized content. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide replaceable containers which can be screwed onto and off of the device. 
     It is another object of the invention to provide a sprayer that makes it possible to mix liquid from said liquid containers in any proportion and create a new fragrance or paint color variation or other pressurized content. 
     It is further an object of the invention to provide a liquid sprayer that can adjust the proportion of outgoing liquid contents of the two containers such as fragrance, or pressurized content, such as paint, by sliding the knob to the left or to the right. This feature allows the user to create a wide variety of scents and, in the alternative embodiment, a wide spectrum of colors or other mixtures of pressurized contents. 
     Still another object of the invention is to provide a fragrance sprayer which can spray Eau de Cologne, Eau de Toilette or perfume with a desirable mixture of alcohol and perfume concentrate oil. 
     Another object of this invention is to provide a sprayer for sunscreen application which allows the user to adjust the amount of UV filter by sliding a knob. 
     An additional object of the invention is to provide a sprayer in which the lids or covers of the liquid containers can be made in different colors, indicating different scents of the fragrance or different colors of paint within the containers and/or which includes a booklet of color codes or fragrance mixes to help the user create desired mixture variations. 
     It is again an object of the invention to provide a sprayer having a spray mechanism liquid route that is air tight with no possible evaporation, contamination, or leakage. 
     It&#39;s another object of the invention to provide a fragrance sprayer that, despite its adjustment mechanism and replaceable containers, is similar in shape and appearance to conventional units available in the market. 
     It is still another object of the invention to provide a fragrance sprayer and/or paint sprayer with a lower detachable and re-attachable casing for replacement of the liquid containers. 
     It&#39;s another object of the invention to provide a fragrance sprayer and/or a paint sprayer which has a reasonable price. 
     It&#39;s another object of the invention to provide a fragrance sprayer with a liquid pump which is quite similar to conventional types in the market, and which is economical from a manufacturing point of view. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide a sprayer which is easy to operate when mixing different proportions of liquids; a benefit derived from the design of the adjustment knob mechanism. 
     It is further object of the present invention to provide a paint sprayer giving the possibility to create several new colors by sliding the liquid adjustment knob to the right or to the left. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide a paint sprayer that uses conventional paint spray cans which are available in the market. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide a paint sprayer that mixes the paint from two liquid containers, creating variant color shades in a wide spectrum of colors. For example by mixing yellow and blue in different variations many different shades of green, blue and yellow can be created. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide a paint sprayer that, by turning the unit upside down, a user may simply clean the nozzle by pressing a lever and releasing the air contained in the system. 
     These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon review of the following specifications and drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Various other objects, features, and attendant advantages of the present invention will become more fully appreciated as the same becomes better understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective front view of the fragrance sprayer  1  of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective front view of the fragrance sprayer of the present invention with upper cover detached; 
         FIG. 3  is the front view of the fragrance sprayer of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a cross sectional view of the fragrance sprayer of the present invention from line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  is the cross sectional view of the fragrance sprayer of present inventions from line  5 - 5  in  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a detailed cross sectional view of the liquid adjustment mechanism of the fragrance sprayer of the present invention as isolated at  6  of  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 7  is a detailed cross sectional view of the liquid adjustment mechanism of the fragrance sprayer of present invention at line  7 - 7  of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 8  is the exploded perspective view of the fragrance sprayer of the present invention; 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective front view of the paint sprayer  2  of the present invention; 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective back view of the of the paint sprayer embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 11  is a cross sectional view of the paint sprayer embodiment of the present invention at line  11 - 11  of  FIG. 10 ; 
         FIG. 12  is a detailed cross sectional view of the paint sprayer&#39;s liquid adjustment mechanism of the present invention as isolated at  12  of  FIG. 11 . 
         FIG. 13  is a cross sectional view of the paint sprayer&#39;s liquid adjustment mechanism of the present invention at line  13 - 13  of  FIG. 11 ; 
         FIG. 14  is a cross sectional view of, line connecting cylindrical coupler of paint sprayer at line  14 - 14  of  FIG. 12 ; 
         FIG. 15  is an exploded perspective view of the paint sprayer embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 16  is a perspective front view of the sprayer  3  which is another embodiment of the present invention with pressurized containers and no adjustment knob, allowing for an even mixture of the content of the containers. 
         FIG. 17  is an exploded perspective view of the sprayer  3  of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The fragrance sprayer  1  generally presented at  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  3  and  4  includes the casing assembly  100  and the liquid adjustment mechanism assembly  300 , spraying mechanism assembly  200  and liquid container assembly  400 . 
     The casing assembly  100  comprises detachable liquid container assembly housing  104  and liquid assembly adjustment assembly detachable cap  102  and recess  108 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4 ,  6  and  8 , the spray mechanism assembly  200  is comprised of spraying nozzle  202 , liquid pump  206 , flexible tubes  210 R and  210 L and suction tubes  208 R and  208 L. The air balancing tubes  209 R and  209 L, which are known in the art, are connected from one end to top of the liquid containers  402 R and  402 L and from the other end to the outside air access apertures  240 R and  240 L located at both sides of the pump respectively. 
     Furthermore, casing assembly  100  comprises aperture  110  at the top of liquid adjustment mechanism assembly housing in which liquid pump  206  is fixedly located. Referring to  FIGS. 4 ,  6  and  8  the liquid container assembly  400  is comprised of two liquid containers  402 R and  402 L. The threaded liquid container necks  404 R and  404 L allow the liquid containers to be attached by screw motion to the sprayer. The inlets  352 R and  352 L are provided on lower outer surface of the liquid adjustment mechanism assembly housing  302  and are threaded from inside. Gaskets  408 R and  408 L make air tight the connections between the necks  404 R and  404 L and the top surfaces of the inlets  352 R and  352 L, respectively. 
     The liquid containers  402 R and  402 L can be attached or detached from the liquid container assembly housing  104  by screwing or unscrewing necks  404 R and  404 L into or from the inlets  352 R and  352 L, respectively. 
     Now referring to  FIGS. 1 through 8 , the liquid adjustment mechanism assembly  300  comprises a liquid adjustment mechanism housing  302 .  302  is substantially hollow with a shoulder on its upper section. The inside lower part of the housing  302  comprises two sloped surfaces  350 R and  350 L which intersect with each other at the center point of housing  302 . This intersection is the peak height of each of the sloped surfaces, and the lowest height is at the two opposite ends of the sloped surfaces, respectively. Two parallel horizontal grooves  320 F and  320 B are provided on the two inner opposite surfaces of the liquid adjustment mechanism assembly housing  302 . A horizontal slot  354  is provided on the front surface of said housing  302  allowing horizontal movement of the adjustment knob pin  322 . 
     Now referring to  FIGS. 6 through 8 , the liquid adjustment mechanism assembly  300  further comprises a rectangular frame  312 , two axle pins  307 R and  307 L which are fixedly attached to the frame  312  near the two short side ends of said frame. The axle pins  307 R and  307 L extend from the two long sides of said frame  312 , with extension sets  308 F at the front, and  308 B at the back, being positioned inside grooves  320 F and  320 B, respectively, allowing frame  312  to travel horizontally along respective axes of said grooves. There are two rollers  306 R and  306 L which rotatably encircle the two axle pins  307 R and  307 L. The frame  312  and rollers  306 R and  306 L can freely move horizontally along the grooves  320 F and  320 B. The two flexible tubes  210 R and  210 L are spanned from right and left on the sloped surfaces  350 R and  350 L and are connected on their respective lower ends to two suction tubes  208 R and  208 L, and on their respective higher ends to the spray pump  206 . 
     Further, pin  322  is fixedly connected to the center of the front long side of the frame  312  at one end and to the center of the liquid adjustment knob  314  at the other end. When the liquid adjustment knob  314  travels from its extreme position on the left to the right, the roller  306 L gradually compresses and narrows the flow passage inside flexible tube  210 L, while, simultaneously, roller  306 R relaxes and widens the flow passage inside  210 R, with reverse motion of the adjustment knob having an opposite effect, resulting in changing the amount of flow of the liquids within the flexible tubes, which determines the mix proportion of the liquids up-taken from the two liquid containers  402 R and  402 L. 
     In operation, the user holds the fragrance sprayer  1  at a reasonable distance from the human skin. The user can adjust the proportion of uptake from each of the liquid fragrance containers by sliding the adjustment knob  314  to the left or to the right to get the desired scent. 
     In an alternate embodiment, a paint sprayer  2  generally presented at  FIGS. 9 through 11 , includes a casing assembly  800 , the liquid adjustment mechanism assembly  300 , the spray mechanism assembly  600  and liquid paint container assembly  700 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 9 through 11  and  15 , casing assembly contains partial housing  804  and lower detachable base  802  and spray lever  808  and handle  812 , the lower detachable base  802  allows for replacing the liquid paint containers. The spray lever  808  is moveably affixed to the top of partial housing  804  by hinge pin  820 . Spray lever  808  has two protrusions  822  on its lower surface which are in surface contact with the top surface of liquid adjustment mechanism assembly housing  360 . The spray lever  808  is designed to activate the sprayer with minimal applied pressure, facilitating ease of operation. 
     The liquid paint adjustment mechanism assembly  300  is functionally the same as in the fragrance sprayer  1  as formerly described. 
     The liquid paint adjustment mechanism assembly moves down when pressure is applied on spray lever  808  and moves back to position when spray lever is released. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 9 ,  11 ,  12  and  15 . The spray mechanism assembly  600 , consists of a spray nozzle  602 , paint mix inlet  616 , flexible tubes  610 R and  610 L and the uptake tubes  608 R and  608 L. The liquid paint containers are pressurized. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 9 through 12 ,  14  and  15 . The liquid container assembly comprises two liquid paint containers  702 R and  702 L. The liquid containers are similar to the common paint spray cans found in the market. The liquid paint containers  702 R and  702 L are available in different colors and are easily replaceable. 
     The liquid paint container assembly further comprises connecting cylindrical coupler sets  734 R and  734 L having aperture sets  780 R and  780 L in their centers, in which the upper end of the uptake tubes  608 R and  608 L are respectively fixedly attached, the connection being watertight. The circular outer surfaces of said connecting cylindrical coupler sets are threaded on the outside circumferences. There are also two identical circular receiving parts  736 R and  736 L configured to receive the connecting cylindrical couplers. Sets  734 R and  734 L, which have protrusions  732 R and  732 L, respectively, and sets  736 R and  736 L, which have protrusions  748 R and  748 L, respectively, are interlocking and the latter are fixedly attached at top end of the liquid paint containers  702 R and  702 L and moveably encircle the uptake tubes  608 R and  608 L. Still the sets of  734 R and  734 L and sets of  736 R and  736 L can have vertical movement in relation to each other, respectively, along the longitudinal axis of uptake tubes  608 R and  608 L, while rotation of the sets of  734 R and  734 L and  736 R and  736 L in relation to each other around the longitudinal axis is restricted. As shown in  FIG. 14 , the protrusions  732 R and  748 R interlock. Similarly, though not shown, the protrusions  732 L and  748 L also interlock. 
     Further, the sets of inlets  352 R and  352 L have female threading on their interior surfaces receiving corresponding threading located on the outsides of connecting cylindrical couplers  734 R and  734 L in a manner defined by the restricted circular motion described, allowing the sets of inlets and connecting cylindrical couplers to become screwed together and airtight by means of gasket sets  708 R and  708 L respectively. The outside surface of the two inlet sets  352 R and  352 L are moveably seated in the set of apertures  840 R and  840 L and vertically move up and down when the lever  808  is pressed down and released accordingly. 
     In operation, to activate the paint sprayer  2 , lever  808  is manually pressed down. The adjustment mechanism assembly and the set of inlets  352 R and  352 L will move down causing the connecting cylindrical coupler sets and consequently the attached uptake tube sets  608 R and  608 L to move down which opens the common paint valve inside the liquid paint container. The inside of the liquid paint containers are pressurized. The user can adjust the proportion of uptake from each of the liquid paint containers by sliding the adjustment knob  314  to the left or to the right to get the desired color result. In another alternate embodiment, sprayer  3  generally presented at  FIGS. 16 and 17 , utilizes adjustment mechanism assembly  500  for pressurized content. In Sprayer  3  which is depicted in  FIGS. 16 and 17  there is no adjustment knob and the mixture ratio of the contents of the containers is fixed. However, it is possible to make Sprayer  3  with an adjustment knob similar to the previous embodiments, allowing for adjustment of the mixture ratio. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 16 and 17 , assembly housing  510  houses connection tubes  506 R and  506 L which are connected to liquid pump  512  from one end and penetrate the top of the containers  502 R and  502 L from the other end respectively. 
     Further, as known in the art, while inserting containers  502 R and  502 L inside assembly housing  510  by screw motion, connection tubes  506 R and  506 L&#39;s sharp tips puncture the sealed inlet of containers  502 R and  502 L, respectively. The content of the containers is pumped up through uptake tubes  504 R and  504 L into connection tubes  506 R and  506 L by liquid pump  512 . Cylindrical gaskets  514 R and  514 L prevent the content from escaping when the container inlets are punctured by sharp tips of connection tubes  506  R and  506 L during screwing of the containers into place; and after the containers are tightly in place, sealing ring gaskets  508 R and  508 L ensure that the connection is air tight. 
     The replaceable liquid containers in the above embodiments can be distributed with colored lids or labels indicating different scents in the case of the fragrance sprayer embodiment, or different colors of paint in the case of the paint sprayer embodiment. An instruction booklet can also be provided to help the user to select the required scent or color, based on the lids&#39; color or label, as well as the proportion of mix of the liquids up-taken from each of the two containers. 
     It would, likewise, be evident to one of ordinary skill in the art that the sprayer could be manufactured of a variety of different materials, such as metals, glass or various polymerics or plastics. 
     The above embodiments are not limiting this invention. The person skilled in the art should understand that many modifications, changes or equivalents may be obtained from the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, which are all included in the scope of the claims attached herewith.