Fluid sprinkling – spraying – and diffusing – Including supply holder for material – To be mixed – dissolved or entrained in a flowing liquid...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-13
2001-07-03
Douglas, Lisa Ann (Department: 3752)
Fluid sprinkling, spraying, and diffusing
Including supply holder for material
To be mixed, dissolved or entrained in a flowing liquid...
C239S337000, C239S434000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06254015
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to sprayers for spraying paint and other liquids from a first container by use of pressurized propellant gas carried by and released from a second container.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Paint sprayers, wherein the paint is contained in a first container and the propellant gas is contained in a second container, have advantages over single aerosol cans having both the propellant and paint contained therein. The latter form of packaging requires extensive inventories of aerosol cans with various colors, and the sales of a given color of paint may not be sufficient to warrant the production, marketing and stocking of aerosol cans with that given color of paint. The same may be said for other types of products marketed in aerosol cans, for example different types of insecticides, etc. However, in a two-container, hand-held spraying system of the aforementioned type, the product container may be used interchangeably with different colors or types of paints since the product container is detachable from the remainder of the spraying system. After spraying a particular color or type of paint placed in the product container, the product container is detached and cleaned so as to be ready to be refilled with a different (or the same) color or type of paint to be next sprayed. The propellant container is likewise detachable from the spraying system, so that when the propellant has been used up in the propellant container, a new container filled with propellant may be attached to the spraying system. As can be seen, such systems have considerable versatility and have become popular.
One type of two container system commercially available utilizes two side-by-side containers connected together by a bridge member. Propellant from the propellant can flows through the bridge and out the bridge through a nozzle that overlies a product tube extending down into the product container. The fast flow of the propellant over the end of the product tube creates a lowered pressure at that point such that the air pressure acting on the liquid in the product container forces product up the product tube and into the stream of propellant gas. In such systems a very low product to propellant ratio is obtained for reasons including that the pressure is only moderately lowered over the top of the product tube. Modifications of this type of side-by-side system have the bridge with its exit nozzle positioned forward of the top of the product tube, and with a form of nozzle insert positioned in the bridge near the exit nozzle. The propellant gas passes through the nozzle insert and likewise acts to lower the pressure over the end of the product tube to cause product flow into the stream of propellant gas. Such a latter system with a nozzle insert has a better product to propellant ratio, for example, of the approximate order of three to one, but there is still an excessive use of propellant. The nozzle inserts of such systems generally are poorly designed and do not create a sufficient vacuum over the top of the product tube.
A further type of two container system has the propellant container mounted piggyback on top of the product container. Product from a tube in the bottom container can flow up through a tube in the propellant container to an actuating button on the top of the propellant container. A nozzle insert in the button, generally operational as previously set forth, has resulted in the obtaining of enhanced product to propellant ratios of five or six to one for products of the viscosity of water. Such systems would benefit from a still further enhanced product to propellant ratio.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an embodiment of a liquid sprayer system having the above-described two side-by-side containers, an interconnecting bridge, a nozzle insert positioned interiorly of the bridge, and obtainable product to propellant ratios of approximately thirteen to one for products of the viscosity of water.
The nozzle insert has a rearward portion in fluid contact with a propellant channel in the interconnecting bridge; an intermediate portion containing a venturi constriction with an outlet orifice from which propellant may exit and at least two product channels adjacent the venturi constriction and extending substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis of the nozzle insert; and a forward portion containing an expansion chamber with an entrance diameter significantly larger than the diameter of the venturi constriction. The expansion chamber has a length sufficient to not substantially disrupt the vacuum established by the venturi constriction outlet at the transverse product channels.
An interior bridge space extends about the intermediate portion of the nozzle insert and also is in fluid communication with both an opening into the bridge from the product container and the transverse product channels. The transverse product channels extend longitudinally forward of the venturi constriction and also extend longitudinally rearwardly to longitudinally overlap the venturi constriction, the latter overlap being by approximately half the longitudinal dimension of the product channels in an embodiment of the present invention. A smoothly tapering, for example frustoconical, surface surrounds the venturi constriction outlet, the smaller forward outer diameter of the tapering surface being less than the entrance diameter of the expansion chamber. A smooth product flow extends from the product chamber into the gas stream exiting the venturi constriction orifice.
The venturi constriction outlet is longitudinally spaced from the entrance of the expansion chamber such that the circumference of the envelope of a cone of propellant gas exiting the constriction outlet remains substantially equal to or less than the circumference of the expansion chamber entrance until the cone enters the expansion chamber. If this cone becomes larger in circumference, the propellant gas exiting the constriction outlet will pass in part up into the transverse product channels to create eddy circuits and lower the vacuum created by the venturi constriction, thereby lowering product to propellant ratios.
In the present invention, the transverse product channels have areas substantially greater than the area of the venturi constriction outlet orifice, and for increased product flow, may have an outer opening of a shape having both curved and linear components forming a quasi-rectangular shape. The nozzle insert also is a unitary member in the embodiment described.
An alternative embodiment of the present invention utilizes a two container piggyback liquid sprayer system, wherein the same aforedescribed nozzle insert is correspondingly mounted within a space in the button actuator on top of the propellant container. Propellant to product ratios of water viscosity products are obtainable of the order of approximately nine to one.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, drawings and claims.
REFERENCES:
patent: 912106 (1909-02-01), Frazier
patent: 1989912 (1935-02-01), Breuer
patent: 2954678 (1960-10-01), Mahon et al.
patent: 3437272 (1969-04-01), Abplanalp
patent: 3575319 (1971-04-01), Safianoff
patent: 4382552 (1983-05-01), Lubsen et al.
patent: 6062493 (2000-02-01), Abplanalp
Douglas Lisa Ann
Kilgannon & Steidl
LandOfFree
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