Squeeze bottle apparatus with force multiplying pistons

• US 5,289,948 A
• Filed: 04/03/1992
• Issued: 03/01/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Battelle Memorial Institute
• Original Assignee: Battelle Memorial Institute
• Inventors: DeFord, Henry S., Gordon, Norman R., Moss, Owen R., Eschbach, Eugene A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mitchell, David M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Derakshani, Philippe
• Application Number:
  US07/862,908
• Time in Patent Office: 697 Days
• Field of Search: 222/135, 222/137, 222/145, 222/207, 222/209, 222/211, 222/249, 222/378, 222/212, 222/409, 239/327
• US Class Current: 222/135
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/02 Membranes or pistons acting on the contents inside the container, e.g. follower pistons
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/043 designed for spraying a liquid B05B11/046 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/046 the gas or vapour flow coming from a source where the gas or vapour is not in contact with the liquid or other fluent material to be sprayed, e.g. from a compressive bulb, an air pump or an enclosure surrounding the container
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/1015 actuated without substantial movement of the nozzle in the direction of the pressure stroke B05B11/1011 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/1032 actuated without substantial movement of the nozzle in the direction of the pressure stroke B05B11/103 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/1035 the pumping chamber being a bellow
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/1052 Actuation means locking means therefor B05B11/1059; the dispensing stroke being affected by the stored energy of a spring B05B11/109
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/1084 each liquid or other fluent material being pumped by a separate pump
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/1085 the pumps being coaxial
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/1087 Combination of liquid and air pumps

Abstract

The present invention comprises a spray bottle in which the pressure resulting from the gripping force applied by the user is amplified and this increased pressure used in generating a spray such as an aerosol or fluid stream. In its preferred embodiment, the invention includes a high pressure chamber and a corresponding piston which is operative for driving fluid out of this chamber at high pressure through a spray nozzle and a low pressure chamber, and a corresponding piston which is acted upon by the hydraulic pressure within the bottle resulting from the gripping force. The low pressure chamber and piston are of larger size than the high pressure chamber and piston. The pistons are rigidly connected so that the force created by the pressure acting on the piston in the low pressure chamber is transmitted to the piston in the high pressure chamber where it is applied over a more limited area, thereby generating greater hydraulic pressure for use in forming the spray.

Claims

1. A spray bottle adapted for holding at least one fluid and producing a media of this fluid upon being squeezed, said spray bottle comprising:

(a) a fluid spray discharge member including a spray nozzle;

(b) a container for holding said at least one fluid within its interior, said container having a stiff portion and a resilient portion proportioned and arranged to permit deformation of said resilient portion while preserving an orientation of said fluid spray discharge member;

(c) a housing constructed and arranged for being mounted on said container, said housing including;

at least one high pressure chamber in controlled communication with said spray nozzle and a fluid within said container, and

at least one low pressure chamber in communication with the atmosphere outside said container;

(d) at least one dispensing pump constructed and arranged to drive said fluid out through said nozzle at high pressure including;

a first fluid displacer which is mounted in said high pressure chamber for applying pressure to any fluid within this chamber, and

a second fluid displacer of greater diameter than said first fluid displacer, which is mounted in said low pressure chamber so as to partition this chamber off from the interior of said container and which is rigidly connected to said first fluid displacer so as to be movable therewith, said hydraulic assembly being operative for being displaced within said low pressure chamber when said bottle is squeezed; and

(e) valve means for controlling the transfer of fluid into and out of said at least one high pressure chamber so that fluid will flow out of said high pressure chamber through said nozzle when said bottle is squeezed and flow into said chamber from the interior of said container as said bottle recovers from being squeezed.

2. The spray bottle apparatus of claim 1, wherein the dispensing pump comprises a hydraulic assembly having at least one piston and cylinder within said housing.

3. The spray bottle apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second fluid displacers each comprise at least one bellows within said housing.

4. A spray bottle adapted for holding a fluid within its interior and producing a media of this fluid upon being squeezed, said spray bottle comprising:

(a) a first chamber having a fluid spray discharge member including a spray nozzle at one end thereof;

(b) a container for holding said at least one fluid within its interior, said container having a stiff portion and a resilient portion proportioned and arranged to permit deformation of said resilient portion while preserving an orientation of said fluid spray discharge member;

(c) at least one piston means for driving fluid through said chamber and out through said nozzle;

(d) means for applying mechanical force to said at least one first piston means which is generated in response to the pressure inside said container as it is squeezed so that a hydraulic advantage may be achieved with respect to the pressure inside said chamber; and

(e) valve means for controlling the supply of said fluid into said first chamber.

5. The spray bottle apparatus of claim 4, wherein said at least one piston means comprise at least two piston means interconnected to separate fluid sources containing disparate fluids.

6. The spray bottle of claim 5, wherein said disparate fluids are mixed upon ejection from the piston means.

7. A spray bottle adapted for holding a fluid and producing a media of this fluid upon being squeezed, said spray bottle comprising:

(a) a fluid spray discharge member including a spray nozzle;

(b) a container for holding said at least one fluid within its interior, said container having a stiff portion and a resilient portion proportioned and arranged to permit deformation of said resilient portion while preserving an orientation of said fluid spray discharge member;

(c) at least one first bellows mounted inside of said container and the interior of which is in communication with the atmosphere outside said container;

(d) a second bellows of smaller diameter than said at least one first bellows which is mounted inside of and rigidly secured to said first bellows, and the interior of which is in controlled communication with said spray nozzle and the fluid within said container; and

(e) valve means for controlling the transfer of fluid into and out of said second bellows so that fluid will flow out of this bellows through said nozzle when said bottle is squeezed, and into said bellows from said container as said bottle recovers from being squeezed.

8. The spray bottle of claim 7, wherein the said at least one first bellows are arranged coaxially about one another.

9. A spray bottle adapted for holding a fluid and producing a media of this fluid upon being squeezed, said spray bottle comprising:

(a) a fluid spray discharge member including a spray nozzle;

(b) a container for holding said at least one fluid within its interior, said container having a stiff portion and a resilient portion proportioned and arranged to permit deformation of said resilient portion while preserving an orientation of said fluid spray discharge member;

(c) at least two bellows mounted inside of said container, the interior of each of said bellows being in communication with the atmosphere outside said container;

(d) valve means for controlling the transfer of fluid into and out of said bellows so that fluid will flow out of said bellows and be mixed at the nozzle when said bottle is squeezed and into said bellows from said container as said bottle recovers from being squeezed.