Fluid sprinkling – spraying – and diffusing – Including supply holder for material – Follower in holder
Reexamination Certificate
2001-12-18
2003-11-18
Ganey, Steven J. (Department: 3752)
Fluid sprinkling, spraying, and diffusing
Including supply holder for material
Follower in holder
C239S320000, C239S333000, C222S095000, C222S386500
Reexamination Certificate
active
06648244
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an atomizer, such as a perfume container, and more particularly to an atomizer, which includes a bellows-shaped container body that can prevent undesired entry of air.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to
FIG. 1
, a conventional atomizer
1
is shown to include a container body
11
, a nozzle head unit
12
that is mounted threadedly on to a top end of the container body
11
and that can be operated to discharge a liquid from the container body
11
, a large piston
13
that is disposed movably within the container body
11
, a bottom cover
14
for closing a bottom opening
111
in the container body
11
, and a top cover
15
for covering a top end of the container body
11
.
Referring to
FIG. 2
, the container body
11
has a liquid-containing chamber
110
that is defined above the large piston
13
and that is filled with the liquid, and an externally threaded upper end
112
that is threaded to the nozzle head unit
12
. The nozzle head unit
12
includes a nozzle head
121
, a vertical inner straw
122
that is attached to a lower end of the nozzle head
121
, and a vertical outer straw
123
that is sleeved on the inner straw
122
and that receives the liquid within a lower portion thereof. A small piston
124
is disposed within the outer straw
123
, and is sleeved movably on the inner straw
122
. A coiled first compression spring
125
is also sleeved on the inner straw
122
, and is disposed above the small piston
124
so as to bias the small piston
124
downward. A coiled second compression spring
126
is sleeved on the inner straw
122
so as to bias a ball
127
downward, thereby closing a bottom end opening of the outer straw
123
. As such, the spring-loaded ball
127
serves as a check valve that limits liquid flow from the container body
11
into the nozzle head unit
12
.
Referring to
FIG. 3
, when a force is applied to the nozzle head
121
in a downward direction, the inner straw
122
moves downward to compress the first and second compression springs
125
,
126
. The compressed first compression spring
125
presses against the ball
127
, thereby closing the bottom end opening in the outer straw
123
. The compressed second compression spring
126
moves the smaller piston
124
downward to press against a shoulder
1231
of the outer straw
123
so that the liquid is ejected from a chamber
1232
that is defined between the ball
127
and the small piston
124
. The ejected liquid flows into the inner straw
12
via two aligned horizontal holes
1221
in the inner straw
12
, and is discharged from the nozzle head
121
. Subsequently, the restoration force of the first and second compression springs
125
,
126
move the inner straw
122
and the small piston
124
upward such that the small piston
124
closes the holes
1221
in the inner straw
12
, thereby preventing spraying-out of the liquid from the nozzle head
121
. When the small piston
124
moves upward in the outer straw
123
, because the bottom cover
14
is formed with a vent
141
, the large piston
13
moves upward in the container body
11
from a position shown in solid lines to that shown in phantom lines, thereby permitting flow of the liquid from the chamber
110
in the container body
11
into the chamber
1232
in the nozzle head unit
12
. The aforesaid conventional atomizer
1
suffers from a disadvantage in that there is a need for a relatively high precision during manufacture and assembly of the container body
11
and the large piston
13
in order to achieve an air-tight seal therebetween.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of this invention is to provide an atomizer with a bellows-shaped container body that can prevent undesired entry of air into a liquid-containing chamber in the container body and that can reduce the manufacturing precision requirement.
According to this invention, an atomizer includes a flexible container body and a nozzle head unit. The container body includes a bellows-shaped surrounding wall, a bottom wall having an outer periphery that is formed integrally with a bottom end of the surrounding wall so as to define a closed bottom end of the container body, and a liquid-containing chamber defined within the surrounding wall and above the bottom wall and adapted to be filled with liquid. The nozzle head unit is attached to a top end of the surrounding wall, and can be operated so as to contract the container body, thereby discharging the liquid from the container body via the nozzle head unit. Because air can gain access into the chamber only via the nozzle head unit, undesired entry of air into the chamber can be prevented effectively. As such, there is no need for a high precision during manufacture and assembly of the atomizer.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3421662 (1969-01-01), Hanson
patent: 4062475 (1977-12-01), Harris et al.
patent: 6062437 (2000-05-01), Mascitelli
patent: 89.921 (1967-09-01), None
European Search Report dated May 21, 2002 corresponding to European Patent Application EP 01 31 0758.
Christie Parker & Hale LLP
Ganey Steven J.
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