Patent Publication Number: US-10322428-B2

Title: Trigger spray valve body with pass through filling path

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (1) Field of the Invention 
     The instant invention relates to sprayer devices and more particularly to a liquid pump sprayer manually operated by means of a trigger lever. 
     (2) Description of Related Art 
     A sprayer of the type generally contemplated herein comprises a valve body provided with a base configured to be mounted to neck of a liquid container, a delivery nozzle from which the liquid is sprayed, a spring biased trigger lever that is operated manually by the user and a pump operated by the trigger lever to suction liquid from the container and to spray it through the nozzle. The pump has a piston acting in a chamber formed in the valve body. The valve body further comprises an inlet duct with a connecting dip tube that extends from the pump chamber to the inside of the liquid container and an outlet duct extending from the pump chamber to the sprayer nozzle. Within the pump chamber there is a suction and delivery valve adapted to allow the liquid to be sucked in a one-way direction from the container up through the dip tube to the pump chamber and to deliver the liquid from the pump chamber to the delivery nozzle. While reference is made to sprayers for liquids, it should be understood that the presently described types of spray devices can also be used to spray any type of fluid, such as foams or the like. 
     While the existing pump sprayer are effective for their intended purposes, an ever-evolving consumer market requires novel and improved designs which provide for added functionality, a reduced number of parts and reduced connection and leak points. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An exemplary embodiment comprises a sprayer device with a trigger operated pump that is operative for pumping and spraying liquid from an attached liquid container. 
     The sprayer device includes an integrally molded valve body provided with a base portion that is configured to be mounted to a neck of a liquid container. The exemplary base portion may be snap fit or plug fit onto the neck of the container or may include a bayonet type connection, or threaded connection or any other connection as known in the art. 
     The valve body is provided with a delivery nozzle from which liquid from the container is sprayed and has a pumping chamber which is in fluid communication with an inside of the fluid container through an inlet duct and a dip tube, and is further in fluid communication with the delivery nozzle through an outlet duct. 
     The valve body is further provided with a head portion that is configured to receive a filling container and has a filling passage extending between the head portion and the base portion such that a liquid received in the head portion flows through the valve body, around the pumping chamber and exits the base portion into the neck of the mounted liquid container. The filling container may be snap fit or plug fit onto the head portion of the valve body or may include a bayonet type connection, or threaded connection or any other connection as known in the art. In one exemplary embodiment, the filling container may be sealed and pierced as it is applied to the valve body, or may include a valve to release the contents. In another exemplary embodiment, the valve body may include a separate flow valve to selectively allow flow through the filling passage. In yet another exemplary embodiment, the head portion may receive a shroud or cover with a door or hatch which can be selectively opened to expose the filling path whereby the user can fill the container through the door or hatch. 
     A trigger lever is hinged to the valve body and to a stem of a plunger or piston which is slidable in the pumping chamber to suction and pump liquid from the liquid container. A spring is captured between the trigger lever and the valve body to bias the trigger outwardly. A suction and delivery valve located within the pumping chamber cooperates with the inlet duct and the outlet duct to control suction of the liquid from the container and delivery of the liquid to the delivery nozzle. 
     It can thus be appreciated that the exemplary embodiment provides a unique valve body and sprayer which simplifies and reduces the number of parts while also reducing the number of potential leak points to the connections between the valve body base and the liquid container and the valve body head and the filling container. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming particular embodiments of the instant invention, various embodiments of the invention can be more readily understood and appreciated from the following descriptions of various embodiments of the invention when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a trigger sprayer assembly having a pass through filling path; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view thereof; 
         FIG. 3  is a top view thereof; 
         FIG. 4  is a side view thereof; 
         FIG. 5  is a bottom view thereof; 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view thereof taken along line  6 - 6  of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 7  is another cross-sectional view thereof taken along line  7 - 7  of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the exemplary trigger sprayer valve body; 
         FIG. 9  is a side view thereof; 
         FIG. 10  is a top view thereof; 
         FIG. 11  is a bottom view thereof; 
         FIG. 12  is a cross-sectional view thereof taken along line  12 - 12  of  FIG. 10 ; 
         FIG. 13  is another cross-sectional view thereof taken along line  13 - 13  of  FIG. 10 ; 
         FIG. 14  is a cross-sectional view of another exemplary trigger sprayer assembly with a cover and filling hatch. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring now to the drawings, an exemplary embodiment of a trigger sprayer device  10  incorporating an exemplary valve body  12  is illustrated in  FIGS. 1-7 . The exemplary valve body  12  is best illustrated in  FIGS. 8-13 . 
     The exemplary sprayer device  10  comprises a trigger operated pump assembly  14  (See  FIG. 2 ) that is operative for pumping and spraying liquid from an attached liquid container  16  (See  FIG. 7 ). 
     The sprayer device  10  includes an integrally molded valve body  12  provided with a base portion  18  that is configured to be mounted to a neck  20  of a liquid container  16 . The exemplary base portion  18  may be snap fit or plug fit onto the neck  20  of the container  16  or may include a bayonet type connection, or threaded connection or any other connection as known in the art. 
     The valve body  12  is provided with a delivery nozzle  22  from which liquid from the container  16  is sprayed and has a pumping chamber  24  which is in fluid communication with an inside of the fluid container  16  through an inlet duct  26  and a dip tube  28  ( FIG. 7 ) which extends down into the liquid container  16  in a conventional manner. The pumping chamber  24  is further in fluid communication with the delivery nozzle  22  through an outlet duct  30  having a vertical portion  30 ′ and a horizontal extension  30 ″ leading to the delivery nozzle  22 . A plug body  32  is received into the top of the vertical portion  30 ′ of the outlet duct  30  to force liquid into the horizontal extension  30 ″ of the outlet duct  30 . 
     The valve body  12  is further provided with a head portion  34  that is configured to receive a filling container (not shown) and has a flow-through filling passage  36  extending between the head portion  34  and the base portion  18  such that a liquid (see arrows  FIGS. 6-7 ) received in the head portion  34  flows through the valve body  12 , around the pumping chamber  24  and exits the base portion  18  into the neck  20  of the mounted liquid container  16 . The filling container may contain a pre-mixed liquid to be sprayed or contain a concentrate to be mixed with water in the container  16 . The flow path  36  and liquid flow through the valve body  12  is best shown by the arrows in the cross-sectional views in  FIGS. 6 and 7 . The filling container may be snap fit or plug fit onto the head portion  34  of the valve body  12  or may include a bayonet type connection, or threaded connection or any other connection as known in the art. In one exemplary embodiment, the filling container may be sealed and pierced as it is applied to the valve body  12 , or may include a valve to release the contents. In another exemplary embodiment, the valve body may include a separate flow valve (not shown) to selectively allow flow through the filling passage  36 . 
     When the filling container is not present, the open head portion  34  allows the user to fill the liquid container  16  with water or other spray liquid directly through the top of the valve body  12  without removing the valve body  12 . In this regard, another exemplary embodiment  10 A is shown in  FIG. 14  wherein assembly  10 A includes a cover or shroud  48  with a hatch or door  50  that can be selectively opened and closed to allow the user to fill the container through the hatch or door  50 . The cover can be part of a larger shroud, or can be a snap-fit or sealed cover with a sliding or hinged door. Other configurations are also contemplated. 
     A trigger lever  38  is hinged to the valve body  12  and to a stem  40  of a plunger or piston  42  which is slidable in the pumping chamber  24  to suction and pump liquid from the liquid container  16 . A spring  44  is captured between the trigger lever  38  and the valve body  12  to bias the trigger  38  outwardly. A suction and delivery valve  46  located within the pumping chamber  24  cooperates with the inlet duct  26  and the outlet duct  30  to control suction of the liquid from the container  16  and delivery of the liquid to the delivery nozzle  22 . Operation of the pump assembly  14  and of the suction and delivery valve  46  are better described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,175,056 and 8,714,415, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     It can thus be appreciated that the exemplary embodiments provide a unique flow through or pass through valve filling body  12  and sprayer  10  which simplifies and reduces the number of parts while also reducing the number of potential leak points to the connections between the valve body base  18  and the liquid container  16 , and the valve body head  34  and the filling container. 
     While there is shown and described herein certain specific structures embodying various embodiments of the invention, it will be manifest to those skilled in the art that various modifications and rearrangements of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the underlying inventive concept and that the same is not limited to the particular forms herein shown and described except insofar as indicated by the scope of the appended claims.