Patent Publication Number: US-6213358-B1

Title: Molded bottle with inclined spray tube

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to plastic spray bottle and, more particularly, to plastic bottles having an integrally molded squeeze bulb pump along a spray tube inclined relative to the neck of the bottle. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A background of relevant information may be gained from a review of the following U.S. Pat. Nos.: 4,418,843; 4,603,794; 4,972,977; 5,129,550; 5,289,948; 5,558,257; and 5,638,994. 
     A window cleaner spray bottle is an example of the kind of spray bottles which the present invention addresses. Hard surface sprayers, hair and cosmetic sprayers, and pesticide sprayers are additional examples of applications addressed by this invention. 
     Conventional spray bottles such as these, however, have numerous parts and are relatively expensive to manufacture and assemble. In fact, the spray mechanisms of these bottles often cost more than the product contained within the bottle. Also, the spray bottles are usually relatively complicated, so that many small parts must be handled and assembled during manufacture. For example, many spray mechanisms include piston-style pumps, trigger handles, tubes, and nozzles enabling variable spray configurations. Moreover, because some probability of failure during operation exists for each part, there are almost certainly a higher than necessary number of faulty bottles. 
     Another problem associated with conventional spray bottles is that some of the product is wasted. For example, a conventional window cleaner spray bottle contains a tube in the center of the bottle for drawing liquid up and into the spray mechanism. The tube stops short of the bottom of the bottle so that the bottom does not block liquid from flowing into the tube. Thus, when the bottle is almost empty, any liquid below the tube will remain in the bottle. Also, if more than the desired amount of product may be sprayed upon each application, there is a resulting waste, because neither the volume of the product to be delivered nor the duration of the spray can be easily controlled. 
     An additional important consideration is the spray bottle&#39;s be ease of use. Many people, especially the elderly and people with arthritic hands, may have difficulty manipulating conventional trigger sprayers. A significant force is required to depress the trigger of some spray bottles. Thus, it is desirable to provide a spray bottle with a trigger that may either be finger-driven or palm-driven and which achieves many available pounds per square inch (PSI) for spraying the liquid. It would also be desirable if the trigger included a finger grip configuration to insure proper placement of the user&#39;s hand, to improve user comfort, and to make the trigger easier to hold and squeeze. 
     Another consideration with respect to the ease of use involves large capacity sprayers. Large capacity sprayers, such as those currently used in the garden industry, require two hands. The large bottle or container must be carried in one hand, while the sprayer is held in the other. A large capacity spray bottle that can be held in one hand and be either finger-driven or palm-driven would be significantly less cumbersome and more efficient to use. 
     With the increasing emphasis that is being placed on environmental issues, the ability to refill the spray bottle with more product rather than to dispose of the empty bottle is extremely important. However, because many users may prefer to purchase a new bottle instead, spray bottles should be made of a recyclable material. 
     Yet another consideration is the cost of manufacturing such a spray bottle. Here, the considerations are directed to lowering a the cost of molds, and further reducing the cost of assembly and of spray bottle parts, such as the cap. However, these cost reductions must not reduce the reliability and serviceability of the spray bottle. For example, it should become easier to fill the bottle. Fewer squeezes should be required to expel the fluid. The spray should be atomized. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,638,994 (Libit et al.) discloses a spray or dispensing bottle with an integrally molded pump spaced apart from the rest of the bottle to permit liquid to be dispensed through the neck and sprayed out the top of the bottle. This bottle design routes the liquid through the neck of the bottle both during filling and dispensing. That is, when the bottle is being filled, the cap covering the neck of the bottle must be removed. Because the siphon tube which dispenses the liquid also extends through the neck and through the cap to the nozzle, the cap requires considerable engineering and cost to permit easy removal and reattachment to ensure that liquid flows as intended during both filling and dispensing. For example, the cap includes a ball valve and the associated tubes, which require more assembly steps than a simple screw-on or hinged cap would require. 
     Also, this bottle design directs dispensed liquid out through a nozzle in a direction approximately 90 degrees from the vertical. That increases the difficulty of spraying some very high and very low surfaces because the bottle must be tilted by the user to direct the nozzle. This tilting, in turn, may make spraying an awkward, uncomfortable task, and when the fluid level in the bottle is very low, the tilt may prevent liquid from reaching the siphon tube and nozzle. 
     The molded bottle with trigger bulb pump of the present invention offers improvements to the bottle shown in the Libit et al. patent. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In keeping with an aspect of the invention, a molded bottle for spraying or dispensing liquids includes a principal liquid chamber defined by a sidewall and a tube which extends alongside the chamber and receives liquid therefrom. The tube has a top end inclined away from the neck of the bottle. A squeeze bulb is connected to the top end of the tube for receiving and holding the liquid which is drawn up the tube when the squeeze bulb is first squeezed and then decompressed. After the squeeze bulb is primed with liquid, any pressure subsequently applied to the squeeze bulb will cause the liquid to be sprayed out the bottle through a one-way exit valve located above the squeeze bulb that keeps air from entering the squeeze bulb during its decompression. 
     The spray bottle with squeeze bulb is both economically appealing and environmentally acceptable. Aside from being recyclable and refillable, the bottle comprises few parts, requires a minimal amount of assembly and reduces the probability of failure. Moreover, the user can easily select and control the volume and duration of the dispensed product, thereby resulting in less waste. The molded bottle is also easy to use because the top end of the tube and its connected nozzle are inclined at an angle other than 90° relative to the longitudinal axis of the sidewall, thereby making it easier for the user to direct the spray at very low or very high locations. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a cross-section of a first embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a side elevation of a second embodiment of the invention; and 
     FIG. 3 is a cross-section of a third embodiment of the invention. 
     FIG. 4 is a cross section of a fourth embodiment of the invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention is directed to a spray bottle  100 , as shown in FIG.  1 . The spray bottle  100  is preferably blow-molded, although it may be made by any suitable process. It is preferred that the bottle be made of a plastic which is fairly easy to squeeze, but with a plastic memory sufficient to cause the bottle to return to its original shape when it is released after it has been squeezed. Suitable plastics include substantially all densities of polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyvinylchloride (PVC), as well as other plastic compounds. 
     The embodiment of FIG. 1 discloses a spray bottle which allows the cap to be a simple molded part. Therefore, it may be attached to the bottle in the simplest and most appropriate manner for a given set of circumstances. For example, if the bottle is to be refilled, the cap may be attached by simple screw threads molded around the bottle neck. If it is not to be refilled, the cap may be snapped on. Other examples may include a cap molded as a unit with the bottle and integrally attached thereto by a living hinge. If there is a reason why the bottle should not be opened or refilled, the top may be heat welded or otherwise fixed in place. The point is that any suitable cap connection may be provided after the construction of the cap is simplified. 
     In greater detail, almost the entire structure  100  shown in FIG. 1 is blow molded in a single step. The major contours are a somewhat conventional bottle wall  102  terminating at the top in a simple neck opening  104 . The outside contour  106  of the neck opening may have screw threads or a snap-on circumferential lip or any other suitable cap capture surface for receiving cap  107 . 
     It should be noted that if any liquid is poured into neck  104 , there are no obstacles or parts which might divert the fluid. This contrasts with other spray bottles where the fluid dispensing tube also runs through the neck and could interfere with filling. 
     The mold for making the bottle  100  includes a number of pinched or web forming areas where the opposite sides of the mold are so close to each other that the plastic becomes a solid piece. These areas are formed, for example, at  108  which separates the bottle from a tube  110  that runs from the bottom of the bottle  100  and up a side to a spray head. Other pinched, solid plastic areas  112 ,  114  form a pair of strengthening ribs which prevents the neck from collapsing when it is squeezed. The web is thicker, and thus stronger, in upper rib areas  118 ,  120 . Another area of solid plastic  116  separates a spout  115  into two channels. Preferably, this spout is horizontal, or slightly inclined upwardly, as shown in FIG.  1 . 
     It should be noted that between the solid areas  108 ,  114 , the tube  110  opens into a somewhat funnel shaped opening  122  in the bottom of which a ball valve is located. This ball  124  may be simply dropped into spout channel  126  after the bottle is blow molded. Ball  124  enables liquid to rise from the bottom of the bottle through tube  110  and into the funnel shaped opening  122  upon squeezing the bottle, but the liquid cannot return from opening  122  and into tube  110  because the ball has a larger diameter than tube  110  and seats itself on top of tube  110  after the bottle is relaxed. A solid plastic shield  128  extends over part of the funnel shaped opening in order to deflect liquid rising through tube  110  into a squeeze bulb  130 . The funnel shaped opening  122  extends upwardly and into spout channel  126  which enables a liquid to flow out of the bottle. 
     On the opposite side of the bottle, another air compressing squeeze bulb or structure  132  is formed to pressurize the bottle. A suitable opening  133  provides communication between bulb  132  and the interior of bottle  100 . The bulb  132  is squeezed by the palm of the hand while the bulb  130  is squeezed by the fingers. Therefore, the bulb  130  is molded with suitable finger indentions, as shown at  134 , for example, which tends to cause the user to place his hand in a correct location before squeezing the two bulbs  130 ,  132 . 
     The spout  140  has a longitudinal axis that is inclined relative to the longitudinal axis of bottle wall  102  at an angle substantially different than a 90° angle so as to direct the sprayed liquid  156  at other than a 90° angle. Spout  140  has two channels formed by the pinch area  116 . One channel  126  conveys liquid. The other channel  136  conveys air. The liquid and air merge in a spray chamber  144  formed inside a separate spray head nozzle part  145 . The interior of a spray housing  144  is simultaneously flooded with liquid and air under augmented pressure which atomizes the liquid. For this atomization, the channel  136  has a relatively small diameter relative to neck opening  104  to increase the velocity of air moving therein. After the air and liquid mix and atomize in spray chamber  144 , nozzle  147  issues a spray of the atomized liquid into the ambient atmosphere under the urging of pressure generated by the two squeezed bulbs  130 ,  132 . 
     Nozzle part  145  is a separate piece part which screws on to the end of the spout and which may be turned to open or close a nozzle opening  147 . Inside nozzle  145 , a flap valve  146  is joined to the bottle by a living hinge or other check ball valve type feature to preserve augmented pressure by preventing ambient air from feeding back into air channel  136  while the spray chamber is pressurized. However, when the pressure is released, the flap valve  146  opens enough for air to leak into the bottle and replace that which was squeezed from the bottle. 
     Alternatively, instead of flap valve  146  or a similar device in the nozzle, the cap  107  may have an opening with a valve (not shown) or the cap may be simply loosened enough to allow air to pass. 
     A ball valve cartridge  148  is a separate subassembly which is pushed into the liquid channel  126 . In the cartridge, the obstacles at  152  prevent the ball  149  from escaping while enabling liquid to flow out of liquid channel  126  and into the spray chamber  144 . Ball  149  rests against an annular seat  150  to prevent liquid in spray chamber  144  from back flowing into the liquid channel  126 . 
     In operation, before the cap  107  is placed over neck  104 , any suitable liquid  156  is poured into the bottle in order to fill it to an appropriate level. Then, the cap  107  is turned, snapped, bonded, or otherwise put into place over neck  104 . When the spray bottle is ready to be used, at least the bulb  130  is initially squeezed. The memory of the plastic restores the chamber  130  to its full and original volume. In doing so, the liquid is sucked up tube  110  to fill and prime chamber  130  (Arrow B). The ball valve  124  seats itself at the bottom of the funnel shaped chamber  122  to prevent any back flow of the liquid into tube  110 . 
     With the chamber  130  primed, the bottle is now ready for use. To expel a spray, both bulbs  130 ,  132  are squeezed simultaneously. The liquid stored in chamber  130  is expelled into the spout channel  126 . Ball valve  124  prevents the liquid from re-entering the bottle, while ball valve  149  permits the liquid to enter spray chamber  144 . 
     The air in bulb  132  is compressed and expelled (Arrows C, D) into the air channel  136 . The compressed air blows the flap valve  146  open so that the compressed air mixes and atomizes with the liquid in spray chamber  144 . Together, the air and liquid issue as a mist from nozzle  147 . One squeeze will produce a relatively large quantity of liquid and with much less noise than prior squeeze bottles. The flap valve  146  prevents a back flow into channel  136  during spraying. 
     The bulbs  130 ,  132  are released by the hand which is spraying the liquid from the bottle. The memory of the plastic causes the bulbs to return to their full volume. The ball  149  closes against the seat  150  so that the liquid which is sucked up the tube  110  and past ball valve  124  fills and primes the bulb  130 . 
     In the absence of the squeezing, there is enough leakage around the flap valve  146  to allow air to enter the bottle, and replenish the air that was expelled during the spraying. Considering the time which normally elapses between the successive squeezes of the bulbs, usually there is an adequate amount of time for the bulb  132  to expand, fill with air, and be ready for the next use. 
     FIG. 2 is an exterior showing of a spray bottle  200  with a tube  202  molded therein. The tube extends up the sidewall  205  of the bottle and then flares outwardly into a spout  203  at  204  to give a smooth transition for providing a spray. Since there are no abrupt bends in the passageway from tube  202  to nozzle  145 , the liquid flows smoothly and without turbulence from bottle  200  to nozzle  145 . The longitudinal axis of spout  203  is preferably inclined at other than a 90° angle relative to the longitudinal axis of sidewall  205  to direct the sprayed liquid at other than a 90° angle. 
     The liquid chamber or bulb  206  extends downwardly from the spout  203 . The embodiment of FIG. 2 does not have an air compressing bulb comparable to bulb  132 . However, such a bulb may be added to the bottle  200 , if it should be desirable to do so. Otherwise, the interior construction of the FIG. 2 embodiment is substantially the same as the construction of FIG.  1 . 
     The embodiment of FIG. 3 is similar to that of FIGS. 1 and 2 insofar as the bottle  300  includes a liquid chamber  302  formed by bottle sidewall  304 , and a tube  306  extends outside of sidewall  304  from the bottom of bottle  300  to spray head  308 . Also, like the previous embodiments, the longitudinal axis of spray head  308  is inclined relative to the longitudinal axis of bottle sidewall  304  at an angle substantially different than 90° . Further, the neck  310  of bottle  300  is internally unobstructed for filling the bottle with liquid, and the neck opening  311  is separate and spaced apart from the spray head  308 . Thus, there is no need for a complicated cap structure over neck opening  311  that permits both filling and dispensing of liquid. 
     This embodiment of the invention includes a spray head  308  formed from the combination of the inclined top end portion  312  of tube  306  and a cartridge  314  partially and telescopically received within end portion  312 . A squeeze bulb  316  extends downwardly from end portion  312  and is in liquid communication with both it and cartridge  314 . Squeeze bulb  316  extends roughly parallel to bottle neck  310  and to that portion of tube  306  which conforms to neck  310 , but squeeze bulb  316  is separated from tube  306  by a pinched and solid or thickened plastic region  318 . 
     Cartridge  314  receives liquid from squeeze bulb  316  and dispenses the liquid out from the bottle. Cartridge  314  includes a tube section  320  and a connected nozzle cap  322  at the distal end  326  of tube section  320  remote from bottle sidewall  304 . Tube section  320  includes a pair of valves  323 ,  324 , one at the distal end  326  and one at the proximal end  328  nearest bottle sidewall  304 . These valves are shown as ball valves in FIG. 3; other types of valves well known in the art could also be used. The valves include balls  330  and constrictions  332  in tube  320 . 
     The distal end  326  of tube section  320  terminates in a splayed end  334  that has threads  336  extending circumferentially and externally around splayed end  334 . Splayed end  334  also has a prong  338  extending circumferentially and internally, so that prong  338  faces inclined end portion  312  of tube  306 . Splayed end  334  gradually narrows in diameter slightly as it approaches inclined end portion  312 , thereby permitting a snap-fit engagement of cartridge  314  with the thickened wall  340  of inclined end portion  312 . The combination of the thickened wall  340 , the narrowed diameter of splayed end  334 , and the prong  338  retain cartridge  314  to inclined end portion  312 . 
     Nozzle cap  322  having a liquid dispensing opening  344  attaches to the splayed end  334  with threads  346  designed to engage threads  336  of splayed end  334 . Nozzle cap  322  thus defines the exit port for liquid to be dispensed from the bottle. By twisting the nozzle cap, the size of the opening  344  and hence the spray pattern can be adjusted. 
     The bottle  300  of FIG. 3 is easy to use. A simple bottle cap not shown but similar to cap  107  of FIGS. 1 and 2 is removed from neck opening  311 . The liquid chamber  302  is filled with liquid through neck  310 . The bottle is grasped so that the user&#39;s fingers encircle squeeze bulb  316 , with the user&#39;s palm around neck  310 . The user primes the bottle by tightening the fingers to compress squeeze bulb  316  toward pinched region  318  and neck  310 . This action expels air from squeeze bulb  316 , and the subsequent release of squeeze bulb  316  creates a temporary vacuum therein which draws liquid from chamber  302  through tube  306  and into squeeze bulb  316 . A second squeeze of squeeze bulb  316  forces liquid from squeeze bulb  316  into tube section  320  of cartridge  314 , past valve  322  and out of the bottle through nozzle opening  344 . Simultaneously, additional liquid from chamber  302  is drawn through tube  306  into squeeze bulb  316  to be dispensed upon the third squeeze. Liquid drawn into squeeze bulb  316  is precluded from re-entering tube  306  upon squeezing by valve  324 . 
     FIG. 4 shows a bottle  400  similar to bottle  300  of FIG. 3, except that the bottle includes a lengthened squeeze bulb or air compressing blister  450  integrally formed along the neck  410 , and the neck is smooth without strengthening ribs. Otherwise, the features of FIG. 4 are as described as in FIG.  3  and identified by like reference numerals, except that  400  series numerals are used. This embodiment provides an even greater air jet from the neck area to help atomize the liquid. 
     While the present invention is described above in connection with preferred or illustrative embodiments, these embodiments are not intended to be exhaustive or limiting of the invention. Rather, the invention is intended to cover all alternatives, modifications, and equivalents included within its spirit and scope, as defined by the appended claims.