Fluid sprinkling – spraying – and diffusing – Including supply holder for material – Temporary storage in wick or pad
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-17
2001-08-07
Morris, Lesley D. (Department: 3752)
Fluid sprinkling, spraying, and diffusing
Including supply holder for material
Temporary storage in wick or pad
C239S145000, C239S337000, C239S346000, C239S351000, C239S355000, C239S419000, C222S187000, C222S633000, C222S619000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06270021
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to apparatus for dispensing a fine spray of liquid particles and more especially to liquid dispensing apparatus known as air brushes.
Conventional air brushes comprise a liquid store connected to receive high pressure gas from a source. The high pressure gas passes over the liquid store to produce a spray of liquid particles which is directed by a nozzle onto an appropriate surface. The pressurised gas from the source is supplied to the air brush via a conduit and its flow is controlled by a manually operated or automatically controlled valve. Typically the pressurised gas source includes propellant and is contained in a heavy metal cylinder. JP-A-61042350 and UK 2177620A disclose such an air brush in which the liquid store takes the form of a felt-tipped pen.
My British Patent 2245196 and International Patent Application PCT/GB93/02332 disclose air brush apparatus for dispensing fine sprays of liquid particles. These air brushes comprise a hand or foot operated pump connected to supply air under pressure directly to a nozzle so positioned that air leaving the nozzle is directed onto and over a nib of a felt-tipped pen realisably supported within a holder with the absorbent nib of the pen in close proximity to the nozzle outlet to cause liquid from the nib to be dispensed as a fine particulate spray in air.
An airbrush including a cylindrical housing formed with a mouthpiece for use with a felt-tipped pen is disclosed in published British Patent Application 2257058. The pen disclosed in this application is of special design and includes an end cap formed with a hole to equalise the pressure within the pen reservoir to avoid the presence of a vacuum.
An improved tubular construction of air brush dispenser is disclosed in my International Patent Application PCT/GB94/00595. This dispenser comprises a hollow tubular housing and a felt-tipped pen which is retained within and spaced from the inner wall of the housing. The tubular housing includes at one end a nozzle and at its other end a mouth piece through which air can be caused to flow through the tubular housing and over the pen to the outlet orifice of the nozzle. An abutment is provided within the housing for locating the pen within the housing with its absorbent nib at least partially within the boundary of the outlet orifice of the nozzle.
A further and improved dispenser is disclosed in my co-pending British Patent Application 9514671.8 which, as for my earlier Application PCT/GB94/00595, removes the need for a pump but which, by a blowing action, causes the required fine spray of coloured particles to be removed from a liquid store such as an absorbent nib of a pen containing a colorant, ink, paint or the like. The air brush dispenser of my later application is an improvement over my earlier design in that it provides a simple and very secure means for locating a pen or cartridge within the tubular casing and has an outlet nozzle whose profile optimises the flow of air around the nib of the pen or other liquid source thereby enabling even young children to operate the dispenser to achieve colouring effects normally associated with much more expensive and complicated equipment.
The present invention sets out to provide alternative dispensers to those disclosed in my earlier application.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention in one aspect, there is provided liquid dispensing apparatus which comprises a tubular casing having at one end an inlet nozzle connectable to a pump providing a source of gas under pressure and at its end an outlet nozzle having an orifice in communication with an expansion body bounded by sides which diverge away from or converge towards the orifice, and means for locating a liquid source including an elongate body and an absorbent nib at least partially within the casing with the nib substantially within the nozzle orifice.
The liquid source may comprise a pen formed with a nib of absorbent material; such a liquid source is hereinafter referred to as a felt-tipped pen.
The source of gas under pressure may comprise a manually operated pump such as a bellows or squeezable bulb, a foot pump
14
connectable to the inlet nozzle through a hose
16
or a pump including a piston like assembly slidable within a cylinder. Alternatively, the source of gas may include an electric pump
18
or aerosol
20
operable to cause a flow of air under pressure to pass to the nozzle orifice. The electric pump may be powered by replaceable dry cell batteries
22
and may comprise a rotatable fan
24
. In these embodiments the gas is air.
As the air flow enters the expansion chamber it accelerates to cause liquid particles to be removed from the surface of the absorbent nib of the source to produce a dispersion of these particles in air.
The casing is preferably produced from a plastics material. Other materials may, however, be used.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2284591 (1942-05-01), Rose
patent: 2354063 (1944-07-01), Rose
patent: 2354064 (1944-07-01), Rose
patent: 3367330 (1968-02-01), Sierpin
patent: 5046667 (1991-09-01), Fuhrig
patent: 5156684 (1992-10-01), Mayer et al.
patent: 5190220 (1993-03-01), Bolton
patent: 5687886 (1997-11-01), Bolton
patent: 5716007 (1998-02-01), Nottingham et al.
patent: 82 16 437 U (1983-01-01), None
patent: 37 31 464 (1989-04-01), None
patent: 91 00 840 U (1991-04-01), None
patent: 0 092 359 (1983-10-01), None
patent: 2 257 058 (1993-01-01), None
patent: 94 26421 (1994-11-01), None
patent: 97 03757 (1997-02-01), None
Ganey Steven J.
Kinney & Lange , P.A.
Morris Lesley D.
LandOfFree
Liquid dispensing apparatus does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Liquid dispensing apparatus, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Liquid dispensing apparatus will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2530011