Patent Publication Number: US-7581662-B2

Title: Multi-compartment spray dispenser with common pressurizer

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to a multi-compartment spray dispenser with common pressurizer. In the prior art, it is known to provide a single container with a plurality of liquids to be dispensed. However, the prior art known to Applicant fails to contemplate all of the features and aspects of the present invention. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,009,342 to Lawrence et al. discloses a container having two sub-chambers and control means to determine which of the chambers is connected to the outlet nozzle. The present invention differs from the teachings of Lawrence et al. as contemplating a container having a plurality of sub-chambers that are commonly pressurized, but each of which has its own separate outlet nozzle. 
   Another known configuration consists of a container having a plurality of sub-chambers and a single nozzle, whereby liquid from a plurality of sub-chambers is mixed together and commonly dispensed. U.S. Pat. No. 3,581,946 to Meshberg, U.S. Pat. No. 3,862,705 to Beres et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,398,846 to Corba et al. teach this general configuration. The present invention differs from the teachings of these patents as contemplating a plurality of separate sub-chambers, each of which is permitted to dispense liquid contained therein through its own dispensing nozzle without any mixing of liquid with any other sub-chamber. 
   It is also known to provide a device in which a container has a plurality of sub-chambers, each of which has its own pump and a common actuator for the pumps, whereby movement of the common actuator causes simultaneous dispensing of liquids from different chambers. U.S. Pat. No. 6,082,588 to Markey et al. teaches such a configuration. The present invention differs from the teachings of Markey et al. as contemplating separate sub-chambers within a container, each of which is able to dispense liquid through a separate outlet without intermixing and independently of dispensing from other sub-chambers. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,152,431 to Gardner et al. teaches a pump apparatus for dispensing liquid from a selected one of a plurality of sub-chambers. Gardner et al. teach a single pumping dispenser and a mechanism allowing only one sub-chamber to be fluidly connected to the pumping dispenser at any one time, whereby a chosen sub-chamber&#39;s liquid is dispensed independently of other sub-chambers. The present invention differs from the teachings of Gardner et al. as contemplating a plurality of sub-chambers isolated from one another, but commonly pressurized, with each sub-chamber having its own outlet and nozzle. 
   Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,238,054 to Chen teaches a container including a common mechanism for pressurizing a plurality of sub-chambers and whereby a common outlet is provided for all of the sub-chambers along with control means controlling which sub-chamber is fluidly connected to the outlet to dispense fluid therefrom. The present invention differs from the teachings of Chen as contemplating a container having a plurality of sub-chambers that are commonly pressurized, but wherein each sub-chamber has its own separate outlet nozzle and may dispense liquid independently of the other sub-chambers. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to a multi-compartment spray dispenser with common pressurizer. The present invention includes the following interrelated objects, aspects and features: 
   (1) In a first aspect, the present invention contemplates a single container divided into, in the example shown, four sub-chambers, each of which is separate from each of the other sub-chambers. Each sub-chamber has its own outlet port separate from the outlets of the other sub-chambers including a hose connection adapted to be connected to a hose and nozzle dispenser. 
   (2) A pumping mechanism is common to the sub-chambers and includes a pump handle that may be reciprocated to cause pressurization of each of the sub-chambers simultaneously. The pump handle extends through an opening in a cap or lid that may be removed to allow access to the sub-chambers so that they may be filled with liquid to be dispensed. 
   (3) With the cap or lid sealed on the neck of the container, the pumping mechanism is operated to pressurize the sub-chambers. The hose connection ports maintain each sub-chamber sealed closed by virtue of a check valve incorporated therein in a manner well known to those of ordinary skill in the art. When it is desired to dispense liquid from one of the sub-chambers, a hose connection is coupled to the hose connection port on the container, thereby opening a flow path for liquid through a hose connected to the hose connector and a nozzle having an actuating valve. When the actuating valve is closed, liquid is dispensed through the nozzle. Should flow of liquid slow, it is easy to re-pressurize the sub-chamber through operation of the pumping mechanism. 
   As such, it is a first object of the present invention to provide a multi-compartment spray dispenser with common pressurizer. 
   It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a device wherein a container is provided with a plurality of sub-chambers that are independently provided with liquid to be dispensed. 
   It is a yet further object of the present invention to provide such a device wherein each separate sub-chamber has its own outlet to which a hose connection may selectively be coupled to permit dispensing of liquid therefrom. 
   It is a yet further object of the present invention to provide such a device wherein a lid or cap may be removed from the container to allow filling of the separate sub-chambers. 
   These and other objects, aspects and features of the present invention will be better understood from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment when read in conjunction with the appended drawing figures. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  shows a longitudinal side elevational cross-sectional view through the inventive device. 
       FIG. 2  shows a cross-sectional view along the line  2 - 2  of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 3  shows a cross-sectional view along the line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 4  shows a perspective view of the dispenser and pressure pump. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   With reference to the Figures, the present invention is generally designated by the reference numeral  10  and is seen to include a container  11  having an outer wall  13  and an inner wall  15  that extends peripherally within the container  11 . The container  11  has an upwardly extending neck  17  having an outer wall  19  including a plurality of threads  21 . A cap or lid  23  has a top wall  25  with an opening  27  through which a pump stem  29  extends that also includes a gripping pump handle  31 . The cap or lid  23  has a side wall  33  with female threads  35  that enmesh with the male threads  21  of the neck  17  to cause the lid  23  to be receivable on the neck  17  in sealing relation thereover. 
   In further explanation, with reference to the Figures, the peripheral wall  15  is common to four sub-chambers  37 ,  39 ,  41  and  43  ( FIGS. 2 and 3 , in particular). Vertical walls  45 ,  47 ,  49  and  51  divide the space enclosed within the peripheral wall  15  into the four sub-chambers, with these walls extending between the inner peripheral surface  15  and an inner cylindrical wall  53 . The wall  53  defines the outer periphery of a pumping chamber  57  that is connected to each sub-chamber by the check valves  59  ( FIG. 3 ). The check valves  59  permit flow from the pumping chamber  57  into the sub-chambers  37 ,  39 ,  41  and  43 , and preclude reverse flow from the sub-chambers into the pumping chamber  57 . 
   Within the pumping chamber  57 , with particular reference to  FIGS. 1 and 3 , an inner cylinder  63  receives a piston  65  attached to the stem  29  as best seen in  FIG. 1 . Thus, when the handle  31  is gripped and reciprocated up and down in the view of  FIG. 1 , the stem  29  is constrained to move therewith, and the piston  65  is constrained to move with the handle  31 . A check valve  67  ( FIG. 1 ) in the bottom of the cylinder  63  allows air compressed by the piston  65  to exit from the cylinder  63  and into the periphery of the pumping chamber  57  where the air thence travels through the check valves  59  to pressurize the sub-chambers  37 ,  39 ,  41  and  43 . An opening  27  allows air to enter the cylinder  63  along slot  26 . Alternatively, the stem  29  could be made hollow and extend through the piston  65  with a check valve mounted on the bottom of the piston  65  and with the upper portion of the stem  29  always exposed to atmosphere. In this way, when the piston  65  is reciprocated upwardly in the view of  FIG. 1 , the check valve  67  is closed, precluding reverse flow of air into the cylinder  63  and air travels through the hollow stem  29  and through the check valve (not shown) in the piston  65  to fill the cylinder  63  below the piston  65  with air. When the piston  65  is then reciprocated downwardly in the view of  FIG. 1 , the check valve (not shown) in the piston  65  is closed, and the check valve  67  is opened to allow air below the piston  65  to be pumped into the outer portion of the pumping chamber  57  and thence out the check valves  59  to the sub-chambers. 
   With reference to  FIG. 1 , the lid  23  has a seal  24  on its undersurface. When the lid  23  is threadably received over the neck  17  in the position shown in  FIG. 1 , the seal  24  engages between the lid  23  on the one hand, and the uppermost extensions of the neck  17 , the cylindrical wall  53 , and the cylinder  63 , to thereby hermetically seal the pumping chamber  57  and each of the sub-chambers  37 ,  39 ,  41  and  43 . 
   With reference to  FIGS. 1 and 3 , each sub-chamber has an outlet fitting  71 , preferably consisting of a hose connection having a coupling spring biased check valve therein that seals its respective sub-chamber when a hose is not coupled thereto. As shown in  FIG. 1 , a hose  73  may be coupled to the hose connection  71 . In a manner well known to those of ordinary skill in the art (U.S. Pat. No. 4,114,853 incorporated herein by reference), when the hose  73  is coupled to the hose connector  71 , the check valve internal to the hose connector  71  is opened allowing pressurized liquid from the respective sub-chamber to enter the hose  73  and travel toward the nozzle  75  ( FIG. 1 )  FIG. 1  schematically shows an actuator  77  for the hose  73  on nozzle  75  which may consist of any valve that may selectively be actuated, preferably, manually, to fluidly connect the interior of the sub-chamber to which the hose  73  is coupled to the nozzle  75 , wherein liquid from the sub-chamber may suitably be dispensed. When it is desired to stop liquid flow, the valve  77  is closed. When flow through the nozzle  75  slows or ceases with the valve  77  open, the user merely must reciprocate the handle  31  up and down to cause the piston  65  to reciprocate within the cylinder  63  and thereby re-pressurize all of the sub-chambers  37 ,  39 ,  41  and  43 . 
   When it is desired to fill the sub-chambers with liquid or to replenish one or more of the sub-chambers from which liquid has been dispensed, it is only necessary to unscrew the lid  23  from the neck  17 , whereupon each of the sub-chambers is exposed as shown in  FIG. 3 , in particular, so that one or more of the sub-chambers may easily be replenished with liquid to be dispensed. As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3 , the stem  29  is supported within the lid  23  by a support neck  26  that includes a plurality of splines ( FIG. 3 ) to strengthen while lightening the support. 
   In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the container and lid are made of any suitable molded plastic as are the cylinder  63  and the outer peripheral wall  57  of the pumping chamber. The stem  29 , handle  31 , and piston  65  may be made of any suitable plastic or metal. The check valves may be made of any suitable resilient material such as rubber or synthetic rubber or soft plastic. 
   As such, an invention has been disclosed in terms of a preferred embodiment thereof which fulfills each and every one of the objects of the invention as set forth hereinabove, and provides a new and useful multi-compartment spray dispenser with common pressurizer of great novelty and utility. 
   Of course, various changes, modifications and alterations in the teachings of the present invention may be contemplated by those skilled in the art without departing from the intended spirit and scope thereof. 
   As such, it is intended that the present invention only be limited by the terms of the appended claims.