NON-AEROSOL LIQUID SPRAY DEVICE WITH CONTINUOUS SPRAY

• US 20140008452A1
• Filed: 07/09/2012
• Published: 01/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Easy Spray LLC
• Original Assignee: Easy Spray LLC
• Inventors: Iammatteo, Pasquale A., Bicej, Roman
• Granted Patent: US 8,973,847 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 239/1
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/1018 and the controlling element cooperating with means for opening or closing the inlet valve B05B11/1019 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/1061 Pump priming means
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 9/0883 having a discharge device fixed to the container

Abstract

Aerosol-free spray devices are provided. According to some embodiments, a spray device includes a piston operable within a piston chamber and coupled to a vacuum plunger operable within a vacuum chamber. A charger is operable to move the piston and the vacuum plunger in a first direction to generate a vacuum in the piston chamber and the vacuum chamber, thereby drawing liquid into the piston chamber. The vacuum in the vacuum chamber acts on the piston to pressurize the liquid in the piston chamber. A spray actuator is operable to open a spray valve, thereby causing the vacuum in the vacuum chamber to force the plunger and the piston to move opposite the first direction, and forcing the liquid in the piston chamber through a spray nozzle as a liquid spray. According to other embodiments, a spring replaces the vacuum chamber and vacuum plunger.

Claims

1. A spray device comprising:

a body defining a reservoir for holding content;

a piston chamber in selective communication with the reservoir;

a piston slidably positioned in the piston chamber;

a first valve configured to control flow of the content from the reservoir into the piston chamber;

a vacuum chamber;

a vacuum plunger slidably positioned in the vacuum chamber and operably connected to the piston;

a charger operatively connected to the piston and the plunger and operable to displace the piston and the plunger to create a vacuum in the vacuum chamber and impose a force on the vacuum plunger and the piston, thereby pressurizing a quantity of the content in the piston chamber;

a spray nozzle in selective communication with the piston chamber;

a second valve configured to control flow of the quantity of the content in the piston chamber out of the piston chamber to the nozzle; and

a spray actuator operatively connected to the second valve and operable to generate a spray of the content from the nozzle by opening the second valve.

2. The device as in claim 1, wherein the content is a liquid.

3. The device as in claim 1, wherein the charger is manually operable to displace the piston and the plunger and thereby configure the device to generate the spray of the content.

4. The device as in claim 1, wherein the first and second valves are operable to close, thereby retaining the quantity of the content in the piston chamber and locking the device in a charged configuration in which the device is configured to generate the spray of the content upon actuation of the spray actuator.

5. The device as in claim 1 wherein the spray actuator is operable to enable the quantity of the content in the piston chamber to flow to the nozzle by opening the second valve.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the charger is operable to cause the first valve to open and thereby allow a portion of the content in the reservoir to enter the piston chamber.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the charger is a substantially hollow, cylindrical member that is reciprocatable with respect to the body.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the charger is configured to slide over a portion of the body when actuated.

9. The device of claim 1, comprising a base member operatively engaged by the charger to displace the piston and the vacuum plunger.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein:

the charger is a substantially hollow, cylindrical member including threads on an internal surface of the charger;

the base member includes radially-projecting teeth configured to engage the threads; and

the charger is operable to rotate with respect to the body such that the base member, the piston and the plunger rotate, causing the piston and the plunger to translate.

11. The device of claim 10, comprising an actuator base supporting the spray actuator, wherein the actuator base includes a cylinder outlet tube received in an interior passage of the piston, wherein the interior passage of the piston is in communication with the piston chamber, and wherein the cylinder outlet tube is in communication with the interior passage of the piston and the nozzle.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the piston and the plunger are positioned side-by-side in the device.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the piston and the plunger are concentrically positioned with respect to each other in the device.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein the piston includes an interior passage in communication with the piston chamber, and wherein the piston chamber is in communication with the reservoir through the interior passage.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the first valve is formed in the piston and is configured to control a flow of the content from the reservoir into the interior passage.

16. The device of claim 1, wherein the vacuum in the vacuum chamber provides a source of energy for the spray of the content.

17. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is configured such that a duration of the spray of the content is a direct function of a volume of the vacuum in the vacuum chamber.

18. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is configured such that a spray pressure of the spray of the content is a direct function of a diameter of a plunger head of the vacuum plunger.

19. A liquid spray device comprising:

a body defining a reservoir for holding content;

a piston chamber in selective communication with the reservoir;

a piston slidably positioned in the piston chamber, the piston comprising an interior passage in communication with the piston chamber and in selective communication with the reservoir;

a first valve formed in the piston and configured to control flow of the content from the reservoir into the interior passage;

a power spring;

a charger operatively connected to the piston assembly and the power spring and operable to displace the piston and the power spring to cause the power spring to impose a force on the piston, thereby pressurizing a quantity of the content in the piston chamber;

a spray nozzle in selective communication with the piston chamber;

a second valve configured to control flow of the quantity of the content in the piston chamber out of the piston chamber to the nozzle; and

a spray actuator operatively connected to the second valve and operable to generate a spray of the content from the nozzle by opening the second valve.

20. The device as in claim 19, wherein the content is a liquid.

21. The device as in claim 19, wherein the charger is manually operable to displace the piston and the plunger and thereby configure the device to generate the spray of the content.

22. The device as in claim 19, wherein the first and second valves are operable to close, thereby retaining the quantity of the content in the piston chamber and locking the device in a charged configuration in which the device is configured to generate the spray of the content upon actuation of the spray actuator.

23. The device of claim 19, wherein the charger is operable to generate a vacuum force in the piston chamber when the charger is operated to displace the piston and the power spring, thereby causing the first valve to open and allowing the quantity of the content to enter the piston chamber from the reservoir.

24. The device of claim 19, wherein the charger is a substantially hollow, cylindrical member that is reciprocatable with respect to the body.

25. The device of claim 24, wherein the charger is configured to slide over a portion of the body when actuated.

26. The device of claim 19, wherein the piston and the power spring are connected to a base member that is configured to be engaged by the charger to displace the piston and compress the power spring.

27. A liquid spray device comprising:

a body defining a reservoir for holding content;

a piston chamber in selective communication with the reservoir;

a first valve configured to control flow of the content from the reservoir into the piston chamber;

a drive assembly including

a base member with radially-projecting teeth,

a piston mount, and

a spring seat;

a piston secured in the piston mount and slidably positioned in the piston chamber;

a power spring secured in the spring seat;

a substantially hollow, cylindrical charger operatively connected to the piston and the power spring, the charger being operable by rotation of the charger with respect to the body to cause the base member, the piston and the plunger to rotate, thereby displacing the piston and the power spring to cause the power spring to impose a force on the piston, and pressurizing a quantity of the content in the piston chamber, and the charger including internal threads configured to engage the radially-projecting teeth;

a spray nozzle in selective communication with the piston chamber;

a second valve configured to control flow of the quantity of the content in the piston chamber out of the piston chamber to the nozzle; and

a spray actuator operatively connected to the second valve and operable to generate a spray of the content from the nozzle by opening the second valve.

28. The device as in claim 27, wherein the first and second valves are operable to close, thereby retaining the quantity of the content in the piston chamber and locking the device in a charged configuration in which the device is configured to generate the spray of the content upon actuation of the spray actuator.

29. The device of claim 28, wherein the charger is operable to generate a vacuum force in the piston chamber when the charger is rotated to displace the piston and the power spring, thereby causing the first valve to open and allowing the quantity of the content to enter the piston chamber from the reservoir.

30. The device of claim 27, comprising an actuator base supporting the spray actuator, wherein the actuator base includes a cylinder outlet tube received in an interior passage of the piston, wherein the interior passage of the piston is in communication with the piston chamber, and wherein the cylinder outlet tube is in communication with the interior passage of the piston and the nozzle.

31. The device of claim 27, wherein the content is liquid.

32. A method for spraying content from a spray device, comprising:

actuating a charger of the device to pressurize a quantity of content in a piston chamber of the device; and

actuating a spray actuator of the device to release a spray of the content from the device;

wherein the device comprises;

a body defining a reservoir for holding the content, the reservoir being in selective communication with the piston chamber,

a piston slidably positioned in the piston chamber,

a first valve configured to control flow of the content from the reservoir into the piston chamber,

a vacuum chamber,

a vacuum plunger slidably positioned in the vacuum chamber and operably connected to the piston,

a spray nozzle in selective communication with the piston chamber, and

a second valve configured to control flow of the quantity of the content in the piston chamber out of the piston chamber to the nozzle;

wherein the charger is operatively connected to the piston and the plunger, and is operable to pressurize the quantity of the content in the piston chamber by displacing the piston and the plunger to create a vacuum in the vacuum chamber and impose a force on the vacuum plunger and the piston; and

wherein the spray actuator is operatively connected to the second valve and is operable to generate the spray of the content from the nozzle by opening the second valve.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the content is liquid.