Patent Document

This patent application is a continuation-in-part from patent application Ser. No. 11/369,351, which was filed on Mar. 7, 2006, and is currently pending. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (1) Field of the Invention 
     The present invention pertains to the construction of a manually operated trigger sprayer that includes a feature that limits the forward pivoting movement of the trigger. By limiting the forward pivoting movement of the trigger, the novel construction of the trigger sprayer prevents the trigger from engaging against the nozzle assembly attached to the sprayer housing of the trigger sprayer and potentially dislodging the nozzle assembly from its attachment to the sprayer housing. 
     (2) Description of the Related Art 
     Handheld and hand pumped liquid dispensers commonly known as trigger sprayers are used to dispense many household products and commercial cleaners. Trigger sprayers have been used to dispense household cleaning or cooking liquids and have been designed to selectively dispense the liquids in a spray, stream, or foaming discharge. The trigger sprayer is typically connected to a plastic bottle that contains the liquid dispensed by the sprayer. 
     A typical trigger sprayer includes a sprayer housing that is connected to the neck of the bottle by either a thread connection or a bayonet-type connection. The sprayer housing is formed with a pump chamber and a vent chamber, a liquid supply passage that communicates the pump chamber with a liquid inlet opening of the sprayer housing, and a liquid discharge passage that communicates the pump chamber with a liquid outlet opening of the sprayer housing. 
     A dip tube is connected to the sprayer housing liquid inlet opening to communicate the pump chamber with the liquid contents of the bottle connected to the trigger sprayer. When the sprayer housing of the trigger sprayer is attached to the bottle, the dip tube is inserted through the bottle neck opening and into the liquid contained in the bottle. 
     A nozzle assembly is connected to the sprayer housing at the liquid outlet opening. Some nozzle assemblies include a nozzle cap that is rotatable relative to the sprayer housing between an “off” position where liquid discharge from the trigger sprayer is prevented, and one or more “on” positions where liquid discharge from the trigger sprayer is permitted. In addition, known nozzle assemblies can affect the liquid discharged by the trigger sprayer to discharge the liquid in a spray pattern, in a stream pattern, or as a foam. The typical nozzle assembly includes a tubular portion that is assembled to the sprayer housing at the liquid outlet opening of the sprayer housing. Some type of snap attachment is also usually provided on the nozzle assembly to hold the nozzle assembly to the sprayer housing. However, if a sufficient force presses against the nozzle assembly and urges the nozzle assembly away from the sprayer housing, the nozzle assembly can be dislodged from its attachment to the sprayer housing. 
     A pump piston is mounted in the sprayer housing pump chamber for reciprocating movement between charge and discharge positions of the piston relative to the pump chamber. When the pump piston is moved to its charge position, the piston is retracted out of the pump chamber. This creates a vacuum in the pump chamber that draws liquid from the bottle, through the dip tube and into the pump chamber. When the pump piston is moved to its discharge position, the piston is moved into the pump chamber. This compresses the fluid in the pump chamber and pumps the fluid from the pump chamber, through the liquid discharge passage of the sprayer housing and out of the trigger sprayer through the nozzle assembly. 
     A metal coil spring is positioned in the pump chamber and engages with the pump piston. The coil spring biases the pump piston to the discharge position of the piston. 
     A vent piston is often provided with the pump piston and is mounted in the vent chamber. The vent piston moves with the pump piston between a vent closed position and a vent opened position in the vent chamber. In the vent opened position, the interior volume of the bottle attached to the trigger sprayer is vented through the vent chamber to the exterior environment of the trigger sprayer. In the vent closed position, the venting path of air through the vent chamber is closed, preventing leakage of liquid in the bottle through the venting flow path should the bottle and trigger sprayer be inverted or positioned on their sides. 
     A trigger is mounted on the sprayer housing for movement of the trigger relative to the trigger sprayer. The trigger is operatively connected to the pump piston to cause the reciprocating movement of the pump piston in the pump chamber in response to movement of the trigger. A user&#39;s hand squeezes the trigger rearwardly toward the sprayer housing to move the trigger and move the pump piston toward discharge positions of the trigger relative to the sprayer housing and of the piston in the pump chamber. The spring in the pump chamber pushes the piston back to the charge position of the piston relative to the pump chamber when the user&#39;s squeezing force on the trigger is released. 
     The metal coil spring is compressed between a rear wall of the pump chamber and the pump piston when the piston is moved to the discharge position. The compressed spring pushes the pump piston back to the charge position when the user&#39;s squeezing force on the trigger is released. This movement of the pump piston toward the discharge position also moves the trigger forwardly away from the pump chamber of the sprayer housing and toward a charge position of the trigger relative to the sprayer housing. This also moves the trigger forwardly toward the nozzle assembly attached to the sprayer housing. 
     Inlet and outlet check valves are assembled into the respective liquid supply passage and liquid discharge passage of the trigger sprayer. The check valves control the flow of liquid from the bottle interior volume through the liquid supply passage and into the pump chamber, and then from the pump chamber and through the liquid discharge passage to the nozzle assembly of the trigger sprayer. 
     In the typical construction of the trigger sprayer discussed above, the positioning of the nozzle assembly on the sprayer housing requires that the forward movement of the trigger caused by the spring urging the pump piston toward the charge position be stopped before the trigger engages with the nozzle assembly. As the trigger is pivoted forwardly by the force of the spring on the pump piston, should the trigger engage with a portion of the nozzle assembly the force of the spring urging the trigger forward against the nozzle assembly could be sufficient to overcome the snap connection of the nozzle assembly to the sprayer housing. This would result in the engagement of the trigger against the portion of the nozzle assembly dislodging and pushing the nozzle assembly off of the liquid discharge opening of the sprayer housing. What is needed to overcome this problem is a novel construction of a trigger sprayer that prevents the trigger when moved forwardly by the spring from contacting the nozzle assembly. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The trigger sprayer of the present invention overcomes the potential problems caused by the trigger contacting the nozzle assembly of the trigger sprayer by providing features in the construction of the trigger sprayer that limit the forward movement of the trigger and thereby prevent the trigger from engaging with the nozzle assembly. In this way, the construction of the trigger sprayer of the invention prevents the unintended and undesirable separation of the nozzle assembly from the sprayer housing. 
     The trigger sprayer of the invention has a sprayer housing construction that is similar to that of prior art trigger sprayers. The sprayer housing basically includes an integral cap that attaches to the neck of a separate bottle that contains the liquid to be dispensed by the trigger sprayer. A liquid inlet opening is provided on the sprayer housing inside the cap, and a liquid supply passage extends upwardly through the sprayer housing from the liquid inlet opening. 
     The sprayer housing also includes a pump chamber having a cylindrical pump chamber wall. The pump chamber communicates with the liquid supply passage. 
     A liquid discharge passage extends through a liquid discharge tube on the sprayer housing. The liquid discharge passage communicates the pump chamber with a liquid outlet opening on the sprayer housing. The sprayer housing liquid outlet opening has a center axis that defines an axial direction that extends forwardly and rearwardly relative to the sprayer housing. 
     The sprayer housing also has a pair of panels that extend in the axial direction along opposite sides of the liquid discharge passage. Each of the panels is formed with a pivot surface, and with a stop surface that extends in the axial direction from the pivot surface. In one embodiment, the pivot surfaces of the panels are part of socket holes in the panels. 
     A valve assembly is inserted into the liquid supply passage and separates the liquid supply passage from the liquid discharge passage. The valve assembly includes an input valve that controls the flow of liquid from the sprayer housing inlet opening to the pump chamber, and an output valve that controls the flow of liquid from the pump chamber and through the liquid discharge passage to the liquid outlet opening. 
     A valve plug assembly is assembled into the liquid supply passage of the sprayer housing. The valve plug assembly includes a valve seat that seats against the input valve, and a vent baffle that defines a vent air flow path through the pump chamber to the interior of the bottle attached to the trigger sprayer. 
     A nozzle assembly is assembled to the trigger sprayer at the sprayer housing liquid outlet opening. The nozzle assembly is rotatable relative to the trigger sprayer to close the liquid flow path through the liquid discharge passage and the liquid outlet opening, and to open the liquid flow path through the liquid discharge passage and the outlet opening. The nozzle assembly has several open positions relative to the sprayer housing that enable the selective discharge of a liquid in a stream pattern, a spray pattern, and a foaming discharge. 
     A piston assembly is mounted in the pump chamber for reciprocating movements between charge and discharge positions of the piston assembly relative to the sprayer housing. The piston assembly includes a pump piston and a vent piston, both mounted in the pump chamber. As the pump piston moves to its charge position, the vent piston is moved to a closed position where a venting air flow path through the pump chamber and through the venting air baffle is closed. As the pump piston is moved to its discharge position, the vent piston is moved to an open position in the pump chamber. This opens the venting air flow path through the pump chamber and the venting air baffle to the interior volume of the bottle attached to the trigger sprayer. 
     A piston rod is operatively connected to the piston assembly and a pair of springs are formed integrally with the piston rod. The length of each string is bent in an inverted U-shaped configuration between opposite proximal and distal ends of the spring. The proximal end of each spring is connected to the piston rod. From the proximal ends, the springs extend away from the piston rod and bend in the inverted U-shaped bend over the pump chamber wall. The springs have distal ends that are connected integrally with a circular collar or ring. The ring is attached around a forward end of the pump chamber wall outside the pump chamber. The ring thereby connects the spring distal ends to the sprayer housing. The springs exert a force on the piston assembly that urges the piston assembly to move toward the charge position of the piston assembly relative to the sprayer housing. 
     A manually operated trigger is mounted on the sprayer housing for pivoting movement. The trigger includes a forwardly facing finger engagement surface that is positioned to be engaged by the fingers of a hand holding the trigger sprayer. The trigger has a pair of pivot posts. The posts engage against the pivot surfaces on the sprayer housing in one embodiment of the trigger sprayer, and extend into socket holes on the sprayer housing in a second embodiment of the trigger sprayer. The engagement of the pivot posts with the pivot surfaces and in the socket holes mounts the trigger for pivoting movement on the sprayer housing. 
     The trigger also includes a pair of tabs that project in the axial direction from the pivot posts. The pair of tabs are positioned on the trigger where the tabs engage against the stop surfaces of the sprayer housing when the trigger is moved forwardly toward the discharge position of the trigger relative to the sprayer housing, and thereby prevent further forward movement of the trigger. The pair of tabs move in an arc movement away from the stop surfaces of the sprayer housing when the trigger is moved from the charge position of the trigger to the discharge position of the trigger relative to the sprayer housing. The pair of tabs on the trigger and the pair of stop surfaces on the sprayer housing thereby limit the extent of forward movement of the trigger relative to the sprayer housing and prevent the trigger from moving forwardly and engaging with the nozzle assembly and potentially dislodging the nozzle assembly from the sprayer housing. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES 
       Further features of the invention are set forth in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention and in the drawing figures. 
         FIG. 1  is a side sectioned view of a first embodiment of the trigger sprayer of the invention with the trigger in a forward, charge position relative to the sprayer housing. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the disassembled component parts of the trigger sprayer of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a top view of the trigger sprayer of  FIG. 1  with the shroud removed. 
         FIG. 4  is a side sectioned view of the trigger sprayer along the line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 3  and with the trigger in a rearward, discharge position relative to the sprayer housing. 
         FIG. 5  is a side sectioned view of a second embodiment of the trigger sprayer of the invention with the trigger in a forward, charge position relative to the sprayer housing. 
         FIG. 6  is a front perspective view of the trigger of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 7  is a rear perspective view of the trigger of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 8  is a side elevation view of the trigger of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 9  is a top plan view of the trigger of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 10  is a side sectioned view of the trigger of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 11  is a front perspective view of the sprayer housing of the trigger sprayer shown in  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 12  is a side elevation view of the sprayer housing shown in  FIG. 11 . 
         FIG. 13  is a front elevation view of the sprayer housing shown in  FIG. 11 . 
         FIG. 14  is a top plan view of the sprayer housing shown in  FIG. 11 . 
         FIG. 15  is a partially sectioned side view of the sprayer housing shown in  FIG. 11 . 
         FIG. 16  is a partially sectioned side view of the sprayer housing shown in  FIG. 11 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Several component parts of the trigger sprayer of the invention are found in the typical construction of a trigger sprayer, and therefore these component parts are described only generally herein. It should be understood that although the component parts are shown in the drawing figures and are described as having a certain construction, other equivalent constructions of the component parts are known. These other equivalent constructions of trigger sprayer component parts are equally well suited for use with the novel features of the invention to be described herein. 
     The trigger sprayer includes a sprayer housing  12  that is formed integrally with a connector cap  14 . The connector cap  14  removably attaches the trigger sprayer to the neck of a bottle containing the liquid to be dispensed by the trigger sprayer. The connector cap  14  shown in the drawing figures has a bayonet-type connector on its interior. Other types of equivalent connectors may be employed in attaching the trigger sprayer to a bottle. A liquid inlet opening  16  is provided on the sprayer housing  12  in the interior of the connector cap  14 . The inlet opening  16  provides access to a liquid supply passage  18  that extends upwardly through a cylindrical liquid column  22  formed in the sprayer housing  12 . The column  22  has a center axis  24  that is also the center axis of the liquid supply passage  18 . An air vent opening  26  is also provided on the sprayer housing  12  in the interior of the connector cap  14 . A cylindrical sealing rim  28  projects outwardly from the connector cap interior and extends around the liquid inlet opening  16  and the vent opening  26 . The rim  28  engages inside the neck of a bottle connected to the trigger sprayer to seal the connection. 
     The sprayer housing includes a pump chamber  32  contained inside a cylindrical pump chamber wall  34  on the sprayer housing  12 . The pump chamber cylindrical wall  34  has a center axis  36  that is perpendicular to the liquid supply passage center axis  24 . The interior surface of the pump chamber wall  34  has a smaller interior diameter section adjacent a rear wall  38  of the pump chamber, and a larger interior diameter section adjacent an end opening  42  of the pump chamber. The smaller interior diameter portion of the pump chamber  32  functions as the liquid pump chamber, and the larger interior diameter portion of the pump chamber  32  functions as a portion of a venting air flow path through the sprayer housing  12 . The vent opening  26  in the sprayer housing connector cap  14  communicates the interior of the larger interior diameter portion of the pump chamber  32  with a bottle connected to the trigger sprayer. A pair of openings  46 ,  48  pass through the pump chamber rear wall  38  and communicate the interior of the pump chamber with the liquid supply passage  18 . The first of the openings  46  is the liquid input opening to the pump chamber  32 , and the second of the openings  48  is the liquid output opening from the pump chamber. 
     A liquid discharge tube  52  is also formed on the sprayer housing  12 . The liquid discharge tube is cylindrical and has a center axis  54  that is parallel with the pump chamber center axis  36 . The liquid discharge tube  52  defines the liquid discharge passage  58  of the sprayer housing. One end of the liquid discharge passage  58  communicates with the liquid supply passage  18  in the liquid column  22 , and the opposite end of the liquid discharge passage  58  exits the sprayer housing  12  through a liquid outlet opening  62  on the sprayer housing. 
     The sprayer housing  12  is also formed with a pair of exterior side walls or side panels  64  that extend over opposite sides of the pump chamber wall  34  and over opposite sides of the discharge tube  54 . The side walls  64  extend over the pump chamber wall  34  in the area of the pump chamber rear wall  38 , but do not extend in the forward direction the full extent of the pump chamber wall  34  to the end opening  42 . The side walls  64  are spaced outwardly from the pump chamber wall  34  and the discharge tube  54  forming voids  66  between the side wall  64  and the pump chamber wall  34  and the discharge tube  54 . The side walls  64  have lengths on the opposite sides of the liquid discharge tube  54  that extend substantially the entire length of the discharge tube. A pair of pivot surfaces  70  are provided on the forward ends of the side walls  64 . As seen in  FIG. 2 , the pair of pivot surfaces  70  are positioned on opposite sides of the liquid discharge tube  54 . Rear walls  68  of the sprayer housing  12  extend outwardly from opposite sides of the liquid column  22  and connect to the rearward edges of the side walls  64 . 
     A valve assembly comprising an intermediate plug  72 , a resilient sleeve valve  74  and a resilient disk valve  76  is assembled into the liquid supply passage  18 . The valve assembly is inserted through the liquid inlet opening  16  and the valve assembly plug  72  seats tightly in the liquid supply passage  18  between the pump chamber input opening  46  and the pump chamber output opening  48 . Thus, the plug  72  separates the liquid inlet opening  16  into the pump chamber  32  from the liquid outlet opening  62  from the pump chamber  32 . The disk valve  76  is positioned in the liquid supply passage  18  to control the flow of liquid from the liquid inlet opening  16  into the pump chamber  32 , and to prevent the reverse flow of liquid. The sleeve valve  74  is positioned to control the flow of liquid from the pump chamber  32  and through the liquid discharge passage  58  and the liquid outlet opening  62 , and to prevent the reverse flow of liquid. 
     A valve plug assembly comprising a valve seat  78 , a dip tube connector  82 , and an air vent baffle  84  is assembled into the liquid inlet opening  16  inside the connector cap  14 . The valve seat  78  is cylindrical and seats against the outer perimeter of the valve assembly disk valve  76 . A hollow interior bore of the valve seat  78  allows liquid to flow through the bore and unseat the disk valve  76  from the seat  78  as the liquid flows from the inlet opening  16  to the pump chamber  32 . The periphery of the disk valve  76  seats against the valve seat  78  to prevent the reverse flow of liquid. The dip tube connector  82  is a cylindrical connector at the center of the plug assembly that connects to a separate dip tube (not shown). The valve plug assembly positions the dip tube connector  82  so that it is centered in the connector cap  14  of the sprayer housing. The air vent baffle  84  covers over but is spaced from the vent opening  26  in the connector cap  14 . The baffle  84  has a baffle opening  86  that is not aligned with the vent opening  26 , but communicates with the vent opening through the spacing between the air vent baffle  84  and the interior surface of the connector cap  14 . This allows air to pass through the vent opening  26  and through the baffle spacing and the baffle opening  86  to vent the interior of the bottle connected to the trigger sprayer to the exterior environment of the sprayer. Because the vent opening  26  and baffle opening  86  are not directly aligned, the air vent baffle  84  prevents liquid in the bottle from inadvertently passing through the baffle opening  86 , the baffle spacing and the vent opening  26  to the exterior of the trigger sprayer should the trigger sprayer and bottle be inverted or positioned on their sides. 
     A nozzle assembly  92  is assembled to the sprayer housing  12  at the liquid outlet opening  62 . The nozzle assembly  92  can have the construction of any conventional known nozzle assembly that produces the desired discharge pattern of liquid from the trigger sprayer. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the nozzle assembly  92  has a rotatable nozzle cap  94  that selectively changes the discharge from a “off” condition where the discharge is prevented, to a “spray” condition, a “stream” condition and/or a foaming discharge. The nozzle assembly also has a tube  96  that attaches over the end of the liquid discharge tube  54 . This enables the liquid discharge tube  54  to have a smaller cross-sectional diameter dimension that increases the rate of liquid flow through the liquid discharge tube  54  and exiting the tube. 
     A piston assembly comprising a liquid pump piston  102  and a vent piston  104  is mounted in the pump chamber  32  for reciprocating movement along the pump chamber axis  36 . The pump piston  102  reciprocates between a charge position and a discharge position in the pump chamber  32 . In the charge position, the pump piston  102  moves in a forward direction away from the pump chamber rear wall  38 . This expands the interior of the pump chamber creating a vacuum in the chamber that draws liquid into the pump chamber, as is conventional. In the discharge position, the pump piston  102  moves in an opposite rearward direction into the pump chamber toward the pump chamber rear wall  38 . This compresses the liquid drawn into the pump chamber  32  and forces the liquid through the output opening  48 , past the sleeve valve  74  and through the liquid discharge passage  58  and the liquid outlet opening  62 . As the pump piston  102  reciprocates in the pump chamber  32  between the charge and discharge positions, the vent piston  104  reciprocates between a vent closed position where the vent piston  102  engages against the interior surface of the pump chamber wall  34 , and a vent open position where the vent piston  104  is spaced inwardly from the interior of the pump chamber wall  34 . In the vent open position of the vent piston  104 , air from the exterior environment of the sprayer can pass through the pump chamber opening  42 , past the vent piston  104  to the vent opening  26 , and then through the spacing between the baffle  84  and the connector cap  14 , through the vent baffle opening  86  and to the interior of the bottle connected to the trigger sprayer. 
     A manually operated trigger  112  is mounted on the sprayer housing  12  for movement of the trigger relative to the sprayer housing. The trigger  112  has a pair of pivot posts  114  that project from opposite sides of the trigger. The posts  114  engage in a sliding contact with the pivot surfaces  70  on the sprayer housing and thereby mount the trigger to the sprayer housing  12  for pivoting movement. A pair of tab abutments  116  project outwardly from the pivot posts  114  limit the pivoting movement of the trigger  112  toward the sprayer housing  12 . The tab abutments  116  are positioned to engage against the sprayer housing pivot surfaces  70  in the forwardmost position of the trigger  112  relative to the sprayer housing. In this way the pivot surfaces  70  function as stop surfaces that prevent any further forward pivoting movement of the trigger  112 . The construction of the trigger includes a finger engagement surface that is engaged by the fingers of a user&#39;s hand. Squeezing the trigger causes the trigger to pivot rearwardly toward the pump chamber  32 , and releasing the squeezing force on the trigger allows the trigger to pivot forwardly away from the pump chamber. 
     The novel construction of the trigger sprayer of the invention includes a piston rod  122  that is operatively connected between the trigger  112  and the pump piston  102  and vent piston  104 . The piston rod  122  has a length with a annular collar or ring  124  at one end of the rod length. The ring  124  is assembled to the pump chamber  32  around the chamber end opening  42 . The opposite end  126  of the piston rod  122  engages with and is operatively connected to the trigger  112 . 
     The novel construction of the trigger sprayer also includes a pair of springs  132  that are formed integrally with the piston rod  122  and the ring  124 . Together the springs  132 , the piston rod  122 , and the ring  124  are one, monolithic piece of plastic material, thereby reducing the number of separate component parts that go into the construction of the trigger sprayer. The pair of springs  132  each have a narrow, elongate length that extends between opposite proximal  134  and distal  136  ends of the springs. The intermediate portions  138  of the springs between the proximal ends  134  and distal ends  136  have the same bent or inverted U-shaped configurations. The spring proximal ends  134  are connected to the piston rod  122  at the first end or forward end  126  of the piston rod. From the proximal ends  134 , the lengths of the springs angle upwardly away from the piston rod  22  and the pump chamber center axis  36  and then extend through the intermediate portions  138  of the springs. As the lengths of the springs extend through their U-shaped intermediate portions  138 , the springs extend along opposite sides of the liquid discharge tube  154  and over the pump chamber wall  34 . The springs then extend downwardly toward the pump chamber center axis  36  as the springs extend to their distal ends  136  connected to the ring  124 . The ring is attached around the pump chamber  32  at the end opening  42  and thereby connects the spring distal ends  136  to the sprayer housing  12 . 
     The inverted, U-shaped configurations of the springs  132  bias the piston rod  122  and the connected pump piston  102  and vent piston  104  outwardly away from the pump chamber rear wall  38 . This biases the pump piston  102  toward its charge position relative to the pump chamber  32  and the sprayer housing  12 . By manually squeezing the trigger  112 , the spring proximal ends  134  move toward the spring distal ends  136 , narrowing the U-shaped bend in the intermediate portions  138  of the springs. When the squeezing force on the trigger  112  is removed, the resiliency of the springs pushes the trigger  112  away from the pump chamber rear wall  38  and moves the pump piston  102  back to its charge position relative to the pump chamber  32 . 
     A shroud  142  is attached over the sprayer housing  12  to provide an aesthetically pleasing appearance to the trigger sprayer. The shroud  142  has a lower edge  144  that is positioned below the U-shaped bends in the pair of springs  132 . Thus, the shroud  142  protects the springs  132  from contact with portions of the hand or other objects exterior to the trigger sprayer when the trigger sprayer is being operated. 
       FIGS. 5-16  show a further embodiment of the trigger sprayer apparatus of the invention. Many of the component parts of the trigger sprayer embodiment shown in  FIGS. 5-16  are substantially the same as those of the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1-4  and described above. Therefore, these same component parts will not be further described. 
     The embodiment of the trigger sprayer shown in  FIGS. 5-16  differs from the earlier described embodiment in the construction of the pivoting connection between the trigger  152  and the sprayer housing  154 . 
     Referring to FIGS.  5  and  11 - 16 , the sprayer housing  154  comprises a pump chamber  156 , a liquid inlet opening  158 , a liquid supply passage  162  that communicates the liquid inlet opening  158  with the pump chamber  156 , a liquid outlet opening  164  and a liquid discharge passage  166  that communicates the liquid outlet opening with the pump chamber  156 . Except for the liquid discharge passage  166 , these are all basically the same as those of the embodiment of  FIG. 1 . The liquid discharge passage  166  extends through a liquid discharge tube  167  of the sprayer housing  154 . The discharge tube has a reduced cross-sectional area which reduces the cross sectional area of the liquid discharge passage  166 . The reduced cross-sectional area of the liquid discharge passage  166  increases the velocity of liquid flow and the force of liquid ejected from the liquid outlet opening  164  over that of prior art trigger sprayers. The liquid outlet opening  164  has a center axis  168  that defines an axial direction relative to the sprayer housing  154 . The axial direction extends forwardly to the left in  FIG. 5  and rearwardly to the right in  FIG. 5 . 
     The sprayer housing  154  also has a pair of side walls  169  that are similar to those of the previously described embodiment. However, each of the sprayer housing side walls  169  has a socket hole  172 . The socket holes  172  are each partially defined by pivot surfaces  174  that are similar to the pivot surfaces  70  of the earlier described sprayer housing. 
     The sprayer housing  154  is also formed with a pair of stop surfaces  176  on the sprayer housing side walls  169 . The stop surfaces  176  are positioned on the side walls  169  outside of the pivot surfaces  174  that define the socket holes  172 . Both the stop surfaces  176  extend in the axial direction rearwardly from the pivot surfaces  174  of the socket holes  172  on opposite sides of the liquid outlet opening center axis  168 . 
     The sprayer housing  154  is also formed with a pair of exterior flanges  178 . The pair of exterior flanges  178  are positioned on the sprayer housing  154  outside of the pair of stop surfaces  176  and outside the pair of pivot surfaces  174 . Thus, there is a spacing between the sprayer housing side walls  169  that contain the socket holes  172  and the exterior flanges  178 . This spacing is occupied by the stop surfaces  176 . 
     The trigger  152  of the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 5-16  has a forwardly directed finger engagement surface  184 . A pair of spaced arms  186  project upwardly from the trigger finger engagement surface  184 . The arms  136  extend across opposite sides of the sprayer housing liquid discharge tube  167 . The arms  186  project from the trigger finger engagement surface  184  to distal ends  188  of the arms that are positioned above the liquid discharge tube  167 . The arm distal ends  188  are also positioned between the sprayer housing side walls  169  and the sprayer housing exterior flanges  178 . 
     Pivot posts  192  are provided on the arm distal ends  188 . The pivot posts  192  project from the arm distal ends  188  toward each other and into the spacing between the pair of arms  186 . The pivot posts  192  engage in a sliding contact with the pivot surfaces  174  of the sprayer housing  154  and thereby mount the trigger  152  to the sprayer housing  154  for pivoting movement of the trigger between a forward, charge position of the trigger relative to the sprayer housing and a rearward, discharge position of the trigger relative to the sprayer housing. The trigger  152  is also formed with a pair of abutments or tabs  194  that project from the pivot posts in the axial direction rearwardly from the trigger  152 . The pair of tabs  194  disengage from the stop surfaces  176  and move through an arc movement away from the stop surfaces  176  when the trigger  152  is moved from the charge position relative to the sprayer housing  154  toward the discharge position of the trigger relative to the sprayer housing. The tabs  194  are positioned to engage against the stop surfaces  176  as the trigger  154  is pivoted to its forward, charge position. The engagement of the tabs with the stop surfaces  176  prevents further forward movement of the trigger toward the nozzle assembly  196 . This prevents the trigger  152  from pushing against the nozzle assembly  196  and potentially pushing the nozzle assembly  196  off the sprayer housing  154 . 
     Although the trigger sprayer of the invention has been described above by reference to a specific embodiment, it should be understood that modifications and variations could be made to the trigger sprayer without departing from the intended scope of the following claims.

Technology Category: 7