Patent Publication Number: US-6905082-B1

Title: Sprayer device having buffering structure

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to a sprayer device, and more particularly to a sprayer device having a buffering structure to provide a slow flowing water pattern. 
   2. Description of the Prior Art 
   Various kinds of typical sprayer devices have been developed and comprise a rotatable head attached to a front portion of a sprayer gun body, and rotatable relative to the sprayer gun body to provide or to form various kinds of water spraying patterns. 
   For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,232,162 to Chih, U.S. Pat. No. 5,333,792 to Wang, U.S. Pat. No. 5,348,228 to Wang, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,273,343 to Guo disclose four of the typical sprayer devices also having a rotatable head attached to the front portion of the sprayer gun body, and rotatable relative to the sprayer gun body to provide or to form various kinds of water spraying patterns. 
   However, the typical sprayer devices have no buffering structures to provide or to form slow flowing water patterns. 
   The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional sprayer devices. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a sprayer device having a buffering structure to provide a slow flowing water pattern. 
   In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a sprayer device comprising a sprayer body including an opening formed therein and defined by a peripheral wall, and including a mouth for receiving water, a head rotatably attached to the peripheral wall of the sprayer body and including a plurality of ports formed therein and to be selectively aligned with the mouth of the sprayer body, to selectively receive water from the mouth of the sprayer body, the head including an outer peripheral portion having a plurality of apertures formed therein, a cover including a peripheral skirt extended therefrom and secured to the head, to form a chamber in the cover and the head, and including a plurality of holes formed therein and aligned with the ports of the head respectively, and a buffering plate received in the opening of the sprayer body and spaced from the cover, to form a gap between the cover and the buffering plate. The cover includes at least one inlet formed therein and communicating with the chamber of the cover and the head, to allow the water to selectively flow through the inlet of the cover and flow into the gap formed between the cover and the buffering plate, and then to flow out through the apertures of the head. 
   The buffering plate includes an orifice formed therein and aligned with the mouth, and holes of the cover are arranged to be selectively aligned with the orifice of the buffering plate and the mouth of the sprayer body. 
   The sprayer body includes at least one rib provided therein, the buffering plate includes at least one slot formed by at least one flap to receive the rib of the sprayer body, and to prevent the buffering plate from rotating relative to the sprayer body, and to maintain an alignment of the orifice of the buffering plate with the mouth of the sprayer body. 
   The sprayer body includes a spring biased projection provided therein, the cover includes a plurality of depressions formed therein for selectively receiving the spring biased projection, and for maintaining either of the holes of the cover in alignment with the mouth of the sprayer body. 
   The head includes a plurality of barrels extended therefrom and aligned with and holes of the cover respectively. The head includes a peripheral barrier extended therein to form an annular passage therein, and includes a number of perforations formed therein and communicating with the annular passage thereof, a first barrel of the barrels includes an outlet formed therein and communicating with the annular passage of the head, to allow the water to flow from the first barrel to the annular passage and to flow out through the perforations of the head. 
   The head includes at least one partition extended therefrom to couple the barrels together, and to form an intermediate channel and an outer channel in the head. The head includes a plurality of orifices formed therein and communicating with the outer channel thereof, a first barrel of the barrels includes an outlet formed therein and communicating with the outer channel of the head, to allow the water to flow from the first barrel to the outer channel and to flow out through the orifices of the head. 
   The cover further includes two entrances formed therein for selectively communicating with either or both the barrels, to allow the water to flow out through either or both the annular passage and the perforations of the head or the outer channel and the orifices of the head. 
   The intermediate channel of the head is communicated with the inlet of the cover, one of the barrels includes an outlet formed therein and communicating with the intermediate channel of the head, to allow the water to flow from the first barrel to the intermediate channel, and to flow out through the inlet of the cover, and to flow into the gap formed between the cover and the buffering plate, and then to flow out through the apertures of the head. 
   Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is an exploded view of a sprayer device in accordance with the present invention, as seen from the front portion of the sprayer device; 
       FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the sprayer device, as seen from the rear portion of the sprayer device; 
       FIG. 3  is a partial cross sectional view of the sprayer device; 
       FIG. 4  is a partial cross sectional view similar to  FIG. 3 , illustrating the operation of the sprayer device; and 
       FIG. 5  is a front plan view of the sprayer device, illustrating the operation of the sprayer device. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   Referring to the drawings, and initially to  FIGS. 1–3 , a sprayer device in accordance with the present invention comprises a sprayer gun body or sprayer body  10  for coupling to water reservoirs, and including an opening  11  formed in the front portion thereof and defined by a peripheral wall  13 , including a mouth  12  for receiving the water from the sprayer body  10  or from the water reservoirs. 
   The sprayer body  10  includes a hub  14  provided in the center portion thereof, and includes one or more ribs  15  formed or provided within the peripheral wall  13 , for such as reinforcing purposes. The sprayer body  10  further includes a cavity  17  formed therein for receiving a spring biased projection  18 . 
   A buffering plate  40  is slidably received in the opening  11  of the sprayer body  10 , and preferably includes an outer contour or an outer diameter equals to or slightly smaller than the inner contour or the inner diameter of the peripheral wall  13 , for allowing the buffering plate  40  to substantially block the opening  11  of the sprayer body  10 , best shown in  FIGS. 3 ,  4 . 
   The buffering plate  40  includes a bore  41  formed in the center portion thereof for rotatably receiving the hub  14  of the sprayer body  10 . The buffering plate  40  further includes an orifice  42  formed therein and aligned with the mouth  12 , for allowing the mouth  12  to be engaged into the orifice  42  of the buffering plate  40  ( FIGS. 3 ,  4 ). The buffering plate  40  further includes a notch  43  formed in the outer peripheral portion thereof and aligned with the spring biased projection  18 , for allowing the spring biased projection  18  to be extended out through the notch  43  of the buffering plate  40 . 
   The buffering plate  40  further includes one or more flaps  44  extended rearwardly therefrom to form or define one or more slots  45  therein, and for slidably receiving the ribs  15  of the sprayer body  10 , and for limiting the buffering plate  40  to slide relative to the sprayer body  10  only, and for preventing the buffering plate  40  from rotating relative to the sprayer body  10 , and for maintaining the alignment of the orifice  42  and the notch  43  thereof with the mouth  12  and the spring biased projection  18  respectively. 
   A head  20  includes a peripheral fence  21  for rotatably engaged onto the peripheral wall  13  of the sprayer body  10 , and includes a center hole  22  formed therein to receive a fastener  19  which is engaged through the bore  41  of the buffering plate  40  and threaded to the hub  14  of the sprayer body  10 , to rotatably secure the head  20  to the front portion of the sprayer body  10 . 
   The head  20  includes a peripheral barrier  23  extended therein and formed around the center hole  22  thereof, to form an annular passage  24  therein, and includes a number of perforations  25  formed in the front portion thereof ( FIG. 1 ) and communicating with the annular passage  24  thereof. 
   The head  20  further includes a number of cylindrical members or barrels  50 ,  51 ,  52 ,  53  extended therein, and disposed or arranged around the center hole  22  and the peripheral barrier  23  thereof, for selectively aligning with the mouth  12  of the sprayer body  10 , to receive the water from the water reservoirs or from the mouth  12  of the sprayer body  10 . 
   The barrels  50 ,  51 ,  52 ,  53  of the head  20  are coupled together with one or more partitions  54 , to separate the inner portion of the head  20  into an intermediate channel  55  and an outer channel  56  that are formed around the peripheral barrier  23  of the head  20 . The intermediate channel  55  is formed between the peripheral barrier  23  and the barrels  50 ,  51 ,  52 ,  53  and the partitions  54  of the head  20 . 
   The head  20  further includes a number of orifices  26  formed therein and aligned with the outer channel  56  thereof, and includes a number of apertures  27  formed in the outer peripheral portion  29  thereof and formed around the orifices  26  thereof, and includes a number of ports  28  formed in the inner peripheral portion thereof, or formed between the orifices  26  and the perforations  25  thereof, and aligned with the barrels  50  respectively, for forming various water flowing patterns. 
   The barrel  51  includes an outlet  57  formed therein and communicating with the outer channel  56  of the head  20 , to allow the water to flow from the barrel  51  to the outer channel  56  and to flow out through the orifices  26  of the head  20  ( FIGS. 2 ,  4 ). 
   The other barrel  52  includes an outlet  58  formed therein ( FIG. 2 ) and communicating with the annular passage  24  of the head  20 , to allow the water to flow from the barrel  52  to the annular passage  24  and to flow out through the perforations  25  of the head  20 . 
   The further barrel  53  includes an outlet  59  formed therein ( FIGS. 2 ,  4 ) and communicating with the intermediate channel  55  of the head  20 , to allow the water to flow from the barrel  53  to the intermediate channel  55  of the head  20 . 
   A cover  30  includes a peripheral skirt  38  extended therefrom and engaged onto and secured to the head  20  with such as adhesive materials, welding processes, or the like, to form a chamber  39  therein, and to be formed as an integral piece or portion of the head  20 . The peripheral skirt  38  of the cover  30  may be used to separate the apertures  27  and the orifices  26  of the head  20  away from each other, best shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . 
   The cover  30  is engaged onto and secured to the barrels  50 ,  51 ,  52 ,  53  and the partitions  54  and the peripheral barrier  23  of the head  20  with such as adhesive materials, welding processes, or the like, to enclose the intermediate channel  55  and the annular passage  24  and the outer channel  56  of the head  20 . 
   The cover  30  includes a number of holes  31  formed therein and aligned with the barrels  50  respectively, and to be selectively aligned with the mouth  12  of the sprayer body  10 , to allow the water to flow from the mouth  12  of the sprayer body  10  through either of the barrels  50  and the respective ports  28  of the head  20 , and to form different water spraying patterns when the head  20  is rotated relative to the sprayer body  10 . 
   The cover  30  includes a number of inlets  32  formed therein and arranged around the fastener  19 , and communicating with the intermediate channel  55  of the head  20 , for communicating the intermediate channel  55  of the head  20  with a gap  37  formed between the cover  30  and the buffering plate  40  ( FIGS. 3 ,  4 ). 
   The cover  30  further includes two entrances  34 ,  35  formed therein and communicating with the barrels  51 ,  52  respectively, to allow the water to flow from the mouth  12  toward either or both the barrels  51 ,  52 , best shown in  FIG. 5 , and thus to allow the water to flow out through either or both the annular passage  24  and the perforations  25  of the head  20  or the outer channel  56  and the orifices  26  of the head  20 . 
   The holes  31  and the entrances  34 ,  35  of the cover  30  are arranged to be selectively aligned with the mouth  12  when the cover  30  and the head  20  are rotated relative to the sprayer body  10 , best shown in  FIG. 5 . The cover  30  further includes a number of depressions  33  formed therein for selectively receiving the spring biased projection  18 , and for maintaining the alignment of either of the holes  31  and the entrances  34 ,  35  of the cover  30  with the mouth  12  of the sprayer body  10 . 
   In operation, as shown in  FIG. 3 , when the hole  31  that is aligned with the barrel  53  is aligned with the mouth  12  to receive water from the mouth  12 , the water may flow through the outlet  59  of the barrel  53  and to flow into the intermediate channel  55  of the head  20 , and then to flow out of the cover  30  through the inlets  32  of the cover  30  and into the gap  37  formed between the cover  30  and the buffering plate  40 , and may then flow out through the apertures  27  of the head  20 . 
   It is to be noted that the water may be slowed down and may thus flow out through the apertures  27  of the head  20  with decreased flowing speeds. In addition, when the water flowing out through the inlets  32  of the cover  30  and into the gap  37  formed between the cover  30  and the buffering plate  40 , the buffering plate  40  may be slightly moved relative to the sprayer body  10  to further buffer or to slow down the water. 
   Accordingly, the sprayer device in accordance with the present invention includes a buffering structure to provide a slow flowing water pattern. 
   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.