Flexible dip tube filter with weight

• US 6,833,072 B1
• Filed: 10/31/2003
• Issued: 12/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: MeadWestvaco Calmar Incorporated (Meadwestvaco Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Saint-Gobain Calmar Incorporated (Meadwestvaco Corporation)
• Inventors: Wanbaugh, Linn D., Krestine, Joseph R.
• Primary Examiner(s): PRINCE JR, FREDDIE GARY
• Application Number:
  US10/698,013
• Time in Patent Office: 417 Days
• Field of Search: 210/416.1, 210/459, 210/460, 210/463, 222/189.1, 222/189.06, 222/464.1, 222/464.4
• US Class Current: 210/416.1
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 35/027 rigidly mounted in or on tanks or reservoirs B01D35/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/0059 allowing operation in any orientation, e.g. for discharge in inverted position
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/1057 Triggers, i.e. actuation means consisting of a single lever having one end rotating or pivoting around an axis or a hinge fixedly attached to the container, and another end directly actuated by the user
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 15/30 Dip tubes
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 15/33 Weighted
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 15/40 Filters located upstream of the spraying outlets
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/32 Dip-tubes

Abstract

A flexible dip tube for a hand held sprayer has a filter element with a projection extending into the distal end of the dib tube for frictionally mounting the filter element thereto, the other end of the filter element extending beyond the distal end and containing filter material in communication with the interior of the tube, and a weight surrounding both the distal end and the projection of the filter element or weighting down the distal end during use.

Claims

1. A flexible dip tube for a hand held sprayer, comprising an elongated tubular body having a proximate end for connection to the sprayer and a distal end for extension into a container to which the sprayer is to be mounted, a filter element having one end extending into said distal end for frictionally mounting the filter element thereto, the opposite end of the filter element extending beyond said distal end and containing filter material in communication with the interior of the tubular body, a weight surrounding the distal end and the one end of the filter element for weighting down said distal end during use.

2. The flexible dip tube according to claim 1, wherein said one end of said filter element comprises a projection having a maximum crosswise dimension slightly greater than an inner diameter of the tubular body for enhancing the frictional mounting of the filter element to the body.

3. The flexible dip tube according to claim 2, wherein said projection has at least one longitudinal groove providing the communication between the filter material and the interior of the tubular body.

4. The flexible dip tube according to claim 1, wherein said one end of said filter element has a crosswise dimension at least equal to an inner diameter of the tubular body, and wherein said weight comprises at least one tubular element having an inner diameter slightly less than an outer diameter of the tubular body for enhancing the frictional mounting of the filter element to the body.

5. The flexible dip tube according to claim 1, wherein the filter element has an outer annular flange defining a stop for limiting the extent of the one end of the filter element into the tubular body, the annular flange further defining a support for the weight.

6. The flexible dip tube as in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the weight comprises a coil spring.

7. The flexible dip tube according to claims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 wherein the one end of the filter element comprises a projection of cruciform section defining a plurality of axial grooves.