IP Library Granted Patent US 6,997,397
Granted Patent B1
US 6,997,397 · App. 10/409,793 · Granted Feb 14, 2006

Trigger sprayer nozzle

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 6,997,397
App. No.
10/409,793
Granted
Feb 14, 2006
Kind
B1
Abstract

A trigger sprayer includes a sprayer body having a barrel with an internal passage, and a nozzle mounted over an open end of the barrel for rotation between dispensing and non-dispensing positions. The nozzle has a plug that is received in the open end of the barrel passage. The plug has laterally opening windows positioned for selective registry with an internal axial slot in the wall of the barrel passage adjacent to the open end of the barrel. The windows in the plug connect with fluid outlets in the nozzle. The nozzle is rotatable around the end of the barrel selectively for bringing the windows into registry with the slot in the barrel to dispense fluid from the end of the nozzle.

Claims (44)

1. A trigger sprayer that includes:

a sprayer body having a barrel with an internal fluid passage, and open end and an internal axial slot in a wall of said passage adjacent to said open end, and

a nozzle mounted on said barrel over said open end for rotation between diametrically positioned dispensing positions and diametrically positioned off positions,

said nozzle having a plug received in said open end of said barrel passage, said plug having diametrically positioned windows for selective registry with said slot in said barrel passage,

said windows in said plug being connected in fluid communication with axially extending fluid passages formed in said nozzle, said fluid passages communicating with laterally spaced fluid outlets in on said nozzle,

an insert mounted on an outer end of said nozzle, said fluid outlets being on said insert and having differing dispensing patterns such that fluid is dispensed selectively in said patterns when said nozzle is rotated on said barrel to bring one or the other of said windows into registry with said slot, and fluid dispensing being blocked when said nozzle is rotated on said body to bring both of said windows out of registry with said slot.

2. A trigger sprayer that includes:

a sprayer body having a barrel with an internal fluid passage, an open end and an internal axial slot in a wall of said passage adjacent to said open end, and

a nozzle mounted on said barrel over said open end for rotation between diametrically positioned dispensing positions and diametrically positioned off positions,

said nozzle having a plug received in said open end of said barrel passage, said plug having diametrically positioned windows for selective registry with said slot in said barrel passage,

said windows in said plug being connected within said nozzle to laterally spaced fluid outlets in said nozzle,

said fluid outlets having differing dispensing patterns such that fluid is dispensed selectively in said patterns when said nozzle is rotated on said barrel to bring one or the other of said windows into registry with said slot, and fluid dispensing being blocked when said nozzle is rotated on said body to bring both of said windows out of registry with said slot, said nozzle includes a nozzle body rotatable on said barrel and including said plug and said windows, and a nozzle insert mounted on said nozzle body and including said laterally spaced fluid outlets coupled to said windows.

3. The sprayer set forth in claim 2 wherein said nozzle body has an end wall that overlies said open end of said barrel, said plug being disposed on an inner surface of said end wall.

4. The sprayer set forth in claim 3 wherein said nozzle body has fluid chambers on an outer surface of said end wall and passages through said end wall from said windows to said chambers.

5. The sprayer set forth in claim 4 wherein said nozzle body has an axis of rotation on said barrel, and said chambers are disposed on laterally opposed sides of said axis.

6. The sprayer set forth in claim 2 wherein said nozzle insert is removably secured by snap fit on an end of said nozzle body.

7. A trigger sprayer that includes:

a sprayer body having a barrel with an internal fluid passage, an open end and an internal axial slot in a wall of said passage adjacent to said open end, and

a nozzle mounted on said barrel over said open end for rotation between diametrically positioned dispensing positions and diametrically positioned off positions,

said nozzle having a plug received in said open end of said barrel passage, said plug having diametrically positioned windows for selective registry with said slot in said barrel passage,

said windows in said plug being connected within said nozzle to laterally spaced fluid outlets in said nozzle,

said fluid outlets having differing dispensing patterns such that fluid is dispensed selectively in said patterns when said nozzle is rotated on said barrel to bring one or the other of said windows into registry with said slot, and fluid dispensing being blocked when said nozzle is rotated on said body to bring both of said windows out of registry with said slot,

said nozzle includes a nozzle body rotatable on said barrel and including said plug and said windows, and a nozzle insert mounted on said nozzle body and including said laterally spaced fluid outlets coupled to said windows,

said nozzle body has a flow directing post in each of said chambers, and wherein said nozzle insert has a pocket received over each of said posts, said fluid outlets in said nozzle insert communicating with said pockets.

8. The sprayer set forth in claim 7 wherein said posts and said pockets are of differing axial dimension.

9. The sprayer set forth in claim 8 wherein a first of said posts received in a first of said pockets has a longer axial dimension than a second of said posts received in a second of said pockets, a first of said outlets communicating with said first pocket delivering a spray fluid outlet pattern and a second of said outlets communicating with said second pocket delivering a foam fluid outlet pattern.

10. The sprayer set forth in claim 9 wherein said nozzle insert includes a collar surrounding said second outlet for promoting generation of said foam fluid outlet pattern.

11. The sprayer set forth in claim 10 wherein said nozzle insert includes air slots in said collar for assisting generation of said foam pattern.

12. A trigger sprayer that includes:

a sprayer body having a barrel with an internal fluid passage, an open end and an internal axial slot in a wall of said passage adjacent to said open end, a nozzle body mounted on said barrel over said open end for rotation about an axis, said nozzle body having a plug within said open end of said fluid passage with open windows on said plug for selective registry with said slot and passages extending from said windows to a front of said nozzle body, and

a nozzle insert mounted on said nozzle body for rotation with said body around said axis, said nozzle insert having fluid outlet openings that register with said passages in said nozzle body, said nozzle insert being constructed to dispense fluid through said outlet openings in differing fluid patterns as a function of rotation of said nozzle body around said axis.

13. The sprayer set forth in claim 12 wherein said windows comprise two windows in said plug positioned diametrically from each other across said axis, and said outlet openings in said nozzle insert comprise two outlet openings positioned diametrically from each other across said axis.

14. The sprayer set forth in claim 13 wherein said nozzle body and nozzle insert are constructed such that one of said fluid patterns is a spray pattern and the other of said fluid patterns is a foam pattern.

15. The sprayer set forth in claim 13 wherein said nozzle insert is removably mounted on said nozzle body such that said differing fluid patterns may be varied by use of differing nozzle inserts on said nozzle body.

16. The sprayer set forth in claim 12 wherein said nozzle body has an end wall that overlies said open end of said barrel, said plug being disposed on an inner surface of said end wall.

17. The sprayer set forth in claim 16 wherein said nozzle body has fluid chambers on an outer surface of said end wall and passages through said end wall from said windows to said chambers.

18. A trigger sprayer that includes:

a sprayer body having a barrel with an internal fluid passage, an open end and an internal axial slot in a wall of said passage adjacent to said open end,

a nozzle body mounted on said barrel over said open end for rotation about an axis, said nozzle body having a plug within said open end of said fluid passage with open windows on said plug for selective registry with said slot and passages extending from said windows to a front of said nozzle body, and

a nozzle insert mounted on said nozzle body for rotation with said body around said axis, said nozzle insert having fluid outlet openings that register with said passages in said nozzle body, said nozzle insert being constructed to dispense fluid through said outlet openings in differing fluid patterns as a function of rotation of said nozzle body around said axis;

said nozzle body has a flow directing post in each of said chambers, and wherein said nozzle insert has a pocket received over each of said posts, said fluid outlets in said nozzle insert communicating with said pockets.

19. The sprayer set forth in claim 18 wherein a first of said posts received in a first of said pockets has a longer axial dimension than a second of said posts received in a second of said pockets, a first of said outlets communicating with said first pocket delivering a spray fluid outlet pattern and a second of said outlets communicating with said second pocket delivering a foam fluid outlet pattern.

20. The sprayer set forth in claim 19 wherein said nozzle insert includes a collar surrounding said second outlet for promoting generation of said foam fluid outlet pattern.

21. The sprayer set forth in claim 20 wherein said nozzle insert includes air slots in said collar for assisting generation of said foam pattern.

Assignments (10)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jan 27, 2017
From: HARBINGER CAPITAL PARTNERS MASTER FUND I, LTD.
To: CONTINENTALAFA DISPENSING COMPANY
Reel/Frame 041518/0304 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jan 26, 2017
From: WACHOVIA CAPITAL FINANCE CORPORATION (CENTRAL)
To: CONTINENTALAFA DISPENSING COMPANY
Reel/Frame 041511/0463 →
PATENT COLLATERAL ASSIGNMENT AND SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 15, 2007
From: CONTINENTALAFA DISPENSING COMPANY
To: HARBINGER CAPITAL PARTNERS MASTER FUND I, LTD.
Reel/Frame 019432/0235 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 8, 2007
From: CONTINENTALAFA DISPENSING COMPANY
To: WACHOVIA CAPITAL FINANCE CORPORATION (CENTRAL)
Reel/Frame 019399/0087 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS AS RECORDED ON 11/2/2005 AT REEL 016722, FRAME 0012 AND ON 11/3/2005 REEL 016722, FRAME 0349 Recorded May 31, 2007
From: THE CIT GROUP/ BUSINESS CREDIT, INC
To: CONTINENTALAFA DISPENSING COMPANY
Reel/Frame 019362/0565 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Nov 3, 2005
From: CONTINENTALAFA DISPENSING COMPANY
To: THE CIT GROUP/BUSINESS CREDIT, INC. AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 016722/0349 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Nov 2, 2005
From: CONTINENTALAFA DISPENSING COMPANY
To: THE CIT GROUP/BUSINESS CREDIT, INC. AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 016722/0012 →
TERMINATION OF SECURITY INTEREST AND RELEASE OF CO Recorded Aug 5, 2005
From: OAK HILL SECURITIES FUND, L.P.
To: CONTINENTALAFA DISPENSING COMPANY; AFA PRODUCTS, INC., DELAWARE CORPORATION; CONTINENTAL SPRAYERS INTERNATIONAL, INC., A DELAWARE CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 019331/0617 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT PATENT APPLICATION NO. 668,480; 146,325; 128,195; 409,793 TO 09/668,480; 10/146,325; 10/128,195; 10409,793 Recorded Nov 13, 2003
From: OWENS ILLINOIS CLOSURE, INC.
To: CONTINENTALAFA DISPENSING COMPANY
Reel/Frame 015886/0892 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 8, 2003
From: KEUNG, WING-KWONG; LAFFEY, MARTIN S.
To: OWENS-ILLINOIS CLOSURE INC.
Reel/Frame 013963/0903 →