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  Trigger sprayer with child resistant indexing nozzleUSPTO Application #: 20070228187Title: Trigger sprayer with child resistant indexing nozzle Abstract: An indexing nozzle assembly for a trigger sprayer has a manually rotatable cap mounted for rotation on a base of the nozzle assembly. Rotation of the cap relative to the base changes the nozzle assembly between an off condition where the nozzle assembly prevents liquid discharge from the trigger sprayer, and a combination of a spray condition, a stream condition, and/or a foam condition. The indexing nozzle assembly is provided with a child resistant feature in the form of a lock mechanism that prevents rotation of the nozzle cap relative to the nozzle base from the cap off condition position. The lock mechanism can be manually manipulated with one hand to disengage the lock mechanism, thereby permitting rotation of the nozzle cap from its off condition position relative to the base. (end of abstract)
Agent: Thompson Coburn, LLP - St Louis, MO, US Inventors: Philip L. Nelson, Walter J. Clynes USPTO Applicaton #: 20070228187 - Class: 239337 (USPTO) The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070228187. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001]This is a continuation-in-part of patent application Ser. No. 11/369,351, which was filed on Mar. 7, 2006, and is currently pending. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002]1. Field of the Invention [0003]The present invention pertains to a hand-held and hand-operated liquid sprayer typically called a trigger sprayer. In particular, the present invention pertains to an indexing nozzle assembly for a trigger sprayer that has a manually rotatable cap mounted for rotation on a base of the nozzle assembly. Rotation of the cap relative to the base changes the nozzle assembly between an off condition where the nozzle assembly prevents liquid discharge from the trigger sprayer, and a combination of a spray condition where the nozzle assembly dispenses liquid in a spray pattern, a stream condition where the nozzle assembly dispenses liquid in a stream pattern, and/or a foam condition where the nozzle assembly dispenses the liquid as a foam. The indexing nozzle assembly is unique in that it is provided with a child resistant feature in the form of a lock mechanism. The lock mechanism prevents rotation of the nozzle cap relative to the nozzle base with the cap in the off condition position relative to the base. The lock mechanism includes a finger pad that is accessible on the trigger sprayer, with the remainder of the lock mechanism being shielded from view. The finger pad is depressed with one hand to disengage the lock mechanism, thereby permitting the rotation of the nozzle cap with the other hand from its off condition position relative to the base. [0004]2. Description of the Related Art [0005]Handheld and hand pumped liquid dispensers commonly known as trigger sprayers are used to dispense many household products and commercial cleaners. Trigger sprayers have been used to dispense household cleaning or cooking liquids and have been designed to selectively dispense the liquids in a spray, stream, or foaming discharge pattern. The trigger sprayer is typically connected to a plastic bottle that contains the liquid dispensed by the sprayer. [0006]A typical trigger sprayer includes a sprayer housing that is connected to the neck of the bottle by either a threaded connection or a bayonet-type connection. The sprayer housing is formed with a pump chamber and a vent chamber, a liquid supply passage that communicates the pump chamber with a liquid inlet opening of the sprayer housing, and a liquid discharge passage that communicates the pump chamber with a liquid outlet opening of the sprayer housing. A dip tube is connected to the sprayer housing liquid inlet opening to communicate the pump chamber with the liquid contents of the bottle connected to the trigger sprayer. [0007]A pump piston is mounted in the sprayer housing pump chamber for reciprocating movement between charge and discharge positions of the piston relative to the pump chamber. When the pump piston is moved to its charge position, the piston is retracted out of the pump chamber. This creates a vacuum in the pump chamber that draws liquid from the bottle, through the dip tube and into the pump chamber. When the pump piston is moved to its discharge position, the piston is moved into the pump chamber. This compresses the fluid in the pump chamber and pumps the fluid from the pump chamber, through the liquid discharge passage of the sprayer housing and out of the trigger sprayer through the nozzle assembly. [0008]A spring is operatively connected between the pump piston and the sprayer housing. The spring biases the pump piston to the discharge position of the piston relative to the sprayer housing. [0009]A vent piston is often provided with the pump piston and is mounted in the vent chamber. The vent piston moves with the pump piston between a vent closed position and a vent opened position in the vent chamber. In the vent opened position, the interior volume of the bottle attached to the trigger sprayer is vented through the vent chamber to the exterior environment of the trigger sprayer. In the vent closed position, the venting path of air through the vent chamber is closed, preventing leakage of liquid in the bottle through the venting flow path should the bottle and trigger sprayer be inverted or positioned on their sides. [0010]A trigger is mounted on the sprayer housing for movement of the trigger relative to the trigger sprayer. The trigger is operatively connected to the pump piston to cause the reciprocating movement of the pump piston in the pump chamber in response to movement of the trigger. A user's hand squeezes the trigger toward the sprayer housing to move the trigger and move the pump piston toward the discharge position of the piston in the pump chamber. The spring between the pump piston and the sprayer housing pushes the piston back to the discharge position of the piston relative to the pump chamber when the user's squeezing force on the trigger is released. [0011]Inlet and outlet check valves are assembled into the respective liquid supply passage and liquid discharge passage of the trigger sprayer. The check valves control the flow of liquid from the bottle interior volume through the liquid supply passage and into the pump chamber, and then from the pump chamber and through the liquid discharge passage to the nozzle assembly of the trigger sprayer. [0012]A nozzle assembly is connected to the sprayer housing at the liquid outlet opening. The nozzle assembly usually includes a base that is assembled to the sprayer housing at the liquid outlet opening, and a cap that is mounted for rotation on the base. The base typically has a liquid swirl chamber and the cap contains the liquid discharge orifice of the nozzle assembly. In trigger sprayers having selectable discharge conditions for the liquid discharged by the trigger sprayer, the cap is rotatable between an off position where the liquid discharge from the trigger sprayer is prevented, and the combination of a spray position where the liquid discharge is in a spray pattern, a stream position where the liquid discharge is in a stream pattern, and/or a foam position where the discharge of liquid is converted to a foam. Depending on the type of trigger sprayer, the nozzle assembly could be movable between any combination of the off, spray, stream, and foam positions. However, most trigger sprayers have a nozzle assembly where the nozzle cap is positioned in an off position to prevent the unintended discharge of liquid from the trigger sprayer. [0013]Manually oscillating the trigger on the trigger sprayer reciprocates the pump piston in the pump chamber which causes liquid to be drawn from the bottle through the dip tube and past the first check valve to the pump chamber. The liquid is then pumped from the pump chamber through the liquid discharge passage and past the second check valve to the liquid spinner and the liquid discharge orifice of the nozzle assembly. By rotating the nozzle assembly cap relative to the nozzle assembly base, the trigger sprayer can be changed between the off condition where liquid discharge is prevented, to a spray condition where the liquid discharge is as a spray, to a stream condition where the liquid discharge is as a stream, and/or to a foam condition where the liquid discharge is as a foam. [0014]In the typical trigger sprayer described above, the nozzle assembly cap can be easily rotated away from its off position relative to the nozzle assembly base. With the nozzle cap moved from the off position, the liquid contents of the bottle attached to the trigger sprayer can be dispensed by manually manipulating the trigger on the sprayer housing. However, movement of the nozzle cap away from the off position also creates a condition where leakage of the liquid from the bottle through the trigger sprayer can occur if the trigger sprayer and bottle are positioned on their sides or inverted. This creates a dangerous situation where a child could get hold of and invert the trigger sprayer and bottle, where the leaked liquid contents of the bottle could be ingested by the child. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0015]The trigger sprayer with the child resistant indexing nozzle assembly of the present invention overcomes disadvantages associated with prior art trigger sprayers by providing a child resistant feature on the nozzle assembly. The child resistant feature prevents the nozzle cap from being rotated relative to the nozzle base away from its closed position without first disengaging the child resistant feature. One hand of the user is needed to disengage the child resistant feature while the other hand of the user rotates the nozzle cap away from its closed position, thus making it difficult for a child to move the nozzle cap from its closed position. [0016]The child resistant indexing nozzle assembly of the invention can be used on a variety of different types of trigger sprayers. As an illustrated example, the indexing nozzle assembly of the invention is described as being employed in a trigger sprayer having a construction that is similar to the constructions of prior art trigger sprayers. [0017]The trigger sprayer of the invention has a sprayer housing construction that includes an integral cap that attaches to the neck of a separate bottle that contains the liquid to be dispensed by the trigger sprayer. A liquid inlet opening is provided on the sprayer housing inside the cap, and a liquid supply passage extends upwardly through the sprayer housing from the liquid inlet opening. [0018]The sprayer housing also includes a pump chamber having a cylindrical pump chamber wall. The pump chamber communicates with the liquid supply passage. [0019]A liquid discharge passage extends through a liquid discharge tube on the sprayer housing. The liquid discharge passage communicates the pump chamber with a liquid outlet opening on the sprayer housing. [0020]A valve assembly is inserted into the liquid supply passage and separates the liquid supply passage from the liquid discharge passage. The valve assembly includes an input valve that controls the flow of liquid from the sprayer housing inlet opening to the pump chamber, and an output valve that controls the flow of liquid from the pump chamber and through the liquid discharge passage to the liquid outlet opening. [0021]A valve plug assembly is assembled into the liquid supply passage of the sprayer housing. The valve plug assembly includes a valve seat that seats against the input valve, and a vent baffle that defines a vent air flow path through the pump chamber to the interior of the bottle attached to the trigger sprayer. Continue reading... Full patent description for Trigger sprayer with child resistant indexing nozzle Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Trigger sprayer with child resistant indexing nozzle patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Trigger sprayer with child resistant indexing nozzle or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Power sprayer Next Patent Application: Liquid supplying device and liquid ejection apparatus Industry Class: Fluid sprinkling, spraying, and diffusing ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Trigger sprayer with child resistant indexing nozzle patent info. 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