Further advantages and features of the invention will be more apparent from the following drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a spring engine driven fluid dispensing system, according to the invention, providing a sprayer, and including a tank from which liquid is drawn to the handle housing, where the handle contains a band spring engine, a pump and spray nozzle;
FIG. 2 is a side view of the handle of the sprayer showing a crank to wind the band spring engine;
FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the handle shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;
FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the internals of the sprayer handle showing the band spring engine, the pump and a cam coupling for reciprocating the pump piston in a pump chamber, when the band spring is released after being manually wound; such reciprocating pump draws liquid drawn into the pump chamber and then ejects the liquid in the chamber through the nozzle;
FIG. 5 is a view of one side of the sprayer handle showing in part, the band spring engine, the winding mechanism therefor, the pump, and the cam mechanism for transferring rotary motion from the spring as it is unwound to reciprocate the pump;
FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the internals of the handle showing the pump, the band spring, and the cam rotation motion translating mechanism;
FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 from the opposite side of the handle;
FIG. 8 is a diagram schematically showing a fluid dispensing system which provides a sprayer in accordance with another embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 9 is a fragmentary sectional view along the line 9-9 in FIG. 8, the view being taken in the direction of the arrows;
FIG. 10 is an enlarged view within the dashed loop 10-10 in FIG. 9;
FIG. 11 is a view similar to FIG. 8 but with the crank removed and showing the connection of the hose from the sprayer head to a cap on the fluid container; and
FIG. 12 is a view of the spring engine and pump in a cap suitable for installation on a sprayer tank containing the liquid to be sprayed.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a tank 10 having a liquid fluid 12 to be sprayed via a sprayer nozzle 14 at an end of the L-shaped handle 15. The liquid 12 is delivered to the handle 15 via a supply hose 16.
The container has a band spring engine 20 (see FIGS. 2-5 and 7), a cam motion translating mechanism 22, and a pump 23. The pump has a cylindrical body 28 and a piston 30. A one-way valve 32 controls flow of liquid as it is being pumped into a pump chamber 34 in the body 28.
The handle 15 has two clamshell sections which can snap together to form the handle 15 and capture internal components therein (i.e., the pump 23, spring engine 20, and cam mechanism 22).
FIGS. 2 and 3 shows the crank handle 38 which is stowed in a recess 40 in the side of handle 15. Also in FIG. 3, the engine 20 is shown having a flat spring band 60 extending from two coils 42 and 44 disposed on drive shaft 46 and an output shaft 48, respectively. The drive shaft 46 has a gear 50 keyed or otherwise connected a pinion 52 on a shaft 54, which is driven by the crank 38 winding the band 60 onto coil 42. The shaft 48 is connected to cam 56 so as to drive the cam motion translating mechanism 22. Cam 56 engages a cam surface 58 (FIGS. 5-6) of the mechanism 22. Thus, rotation of the cam 56 translates rotary into reciprocal motion of the piston 30 of the pump 23 in chamber 34. The one-way check valve 32 is held closed on the forward pressure stroke of pump 23 by a coil spring 62 in chamber 34 of the pump 23 and the pressure in chamber 34.
In operation, the crank handle 38 is released by extracting a locking pin 64 from the recess 40 in handle 15. The locking pin 64 extends from the crank handle 38 into a hole or notch in recess 40, and can be released from its hole or notch by a user by slightly pulling the crank away from its recess 40, such that crank handle 38 is released for rotation. As shown in FIGS. 4-7, crank handle 38 winds band 60 into the coil 42 because the crank rotates the shaft 54 which rotates pinion 52.
A pawl 70 is held by a lever 72 and a spring 74 to prevent rotation of the coil 42 in an unwinding direction. After the crank handle 38 is stowed is recess 40, pawl 70 is released. The coil 42 unwinds, while coil 44 on shaft 48 winds. The shaft 48 rotates, thereby rotating the cam 56.
During part of the cycle of rotation of cam 56, the spring 62 drives the piston to the left, as shown in FIG. 6. Liquid is then drawn into the pump chamber 34 in the body 28. When the lobe 78 of the cam 56 engages the surface 58 during the remaining part of each cycle of rotation of the cam 56, the piston pressures the pump chamber 34 (the one-way valve 32 then closes the inlet from hose 16). Liquid 12 is then pumped out of the chamber 34 to provide a sprayer stream via the nozzle 14. The cam 56 can provide several cycles of rotation during each unwind of the springs 42 of the engine 20, thereby providing a substantially continuous stream of liquid 12 or a spray from nozzle 14. However, a rotary pump may be used instead of a piston pump driven by the spring engine 20 to provide a continuous, rather than an intermittent spray stream.
Another embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIGS. 8-12. In FIG. 8, there is shown a container or tank 100 connected to a sprayer head 102 via a flexible hose 104. The hose is connected to the container by a cap 106 which is vented by holes 108 therein as shown in FIG. 11. The hose 104 may extend all the way to the bottom of the tank 100 for picking up liquid as the tank empties. To the side of the tank 100 is a holster 110 in which the sprayer head 102 and a crank operated spring engine 112, a pump 114 and the head 102 may be removably housed. The spring engine 112, pump 114 and head 102 may be housed in an enclosure or housing (not shown) so as to facilitate carriage or manipulation thereof.
The spring engine 112 is mounted on a base 116. Rotatably mounted on shafts 118 are three spools, namely a winding spool 120, and output spool 122, and a storage spool 124. A mechanism for winding a flat or band spring 126 on the storage spool 124 includes a manually rotatable crank 130. The output spool 122 is connected to the pump 114 by a transmission which is illustrated as an eccentric, arm 132 pivotally mounted to the output spool 122 and to a piston 134 of the pump 114. The eccentric 132 translates rotary motion of the output spool 122 under power of the band spring 126 as it is unwound from a coil on the output spool 122 to a coil on the storage spool 124. The coil 140 of the band spring 126 when wound up on the output spool 122 is shown in FIG. 9.
The winding mechanism is provided by the crank 130 and a cylindrical pawl 150 axially moveable in an opening 152 of the crank 130. The pawl 150 is connected by a screw thread on a shaft 154, which is also connected by the screw thread thereon to the winding spool 120. The pawl 150 is rotatably connected to the crank 130 by ratchet teeth 156 at the end of the pawl 150 which engages corresponding teeth at the inner end of the hole 152 in the crank 130.
A filament in the form of a wire 160 extends between the output spool 122 and the winding spool 120. The output spool has side-by-side receptacles 174 and 176. The wire 160 winds and unwinds between the output spool receptacle 174 and the winding spool 120. The band spring 126 winds and unwinds from the receptacle 176 in the output spool. In FIG. 9, the filament or wire 160 is shown completely unwound from the spool receptacle 174. The end of the wire 160 is captured inside the spool 122 by being extended through a slot 178 and tied in the receptacle 177 inside the spool 122 by a knot which prevents the wire from escaping from the slot 178.
To wind the spring 126, the crank 130 turns the winding spool 120 via the ratchet teeth 156 and the cylindrical pawl 150 which are connected by the threaded shaft 154.
In order to enable the wound spring band 126 to unwind from the output spool 122 and wind on the storage spool 124, the cylindrical pawl 150 is released by a pin 180 having a head 182. The pin 180 is attached by a screw thread thereon to the pawl 150. A coil spring 184 between the crank 130 and the head 182 of the pin biases the pawl 150 to the left as shown in FIG. 9 so as to connect the ratchet teeth 156. The crank 130 may therefore be rotated to wind the spring 126 on the output spool 122 and unwind it from the storage spool 124. By holding the head 182 with the thumb and pulling back on the crank or handle 130 with the fingers of the hand, the pawl 150 is released and can rotate with the winding spool 120. Since the winding spool 120 is released, the output spool 122 rotates under the power of the spring 126 as it is unwound from the tightened condition shown in FIG. 9. The wire 160 winds in the receptacle 174 of the spool 122 and the unwinding band spring 126 winds itself up on the storage spool 124. The rotation of the output spool 122 translates via the eccentric transmission mechanism 132 into reciprocating motion of the piston 134.
When the spring 126 wound on the output spool 122 is released, the piston 134 is driven by the power of the released spring 126 downwardly and creates a negative pressure which draws fluid from the container 100 via the hose 104 through a one-way or check valve 190 into the piston chamber 192 (see FIG. 11). The piston 134 is then driven forwardly into the chamber 192. Since the check valve 190 does not permit flow backwards into the hose 104, the fluid is forced in a spurt through the nozzle end 194 of the spray head 102. Several rotations of the output spool and reciprocations of the piston 134 in the pump occur for each unwinding cycle of the band spring 126. Thus, a sequence or continual flow is produced from the nozzle 194 of the sprayer.
The wind up wire 160 winds and unwinds between the winding spool 120 and the output spool 122, but may instead wind and unwind between the winding spool 120 and the storage spool 124. The construction illustrated in the drawings where the winding wire extends between the storage and winding spools 122 and 120 is presently preferred.
Referring to FIG. 12, there is shown the spring engine 112 enclosed in a housing 200. This housing is attached by brackets 202 and 204 in a cap 206, which may be attached to a container or tank by a screw thread (not shown) on the bottom rim 208 thereof. The hose 104 is connected to the pressure chamber of the pump 114 via a check valve as shown in FIG. 9. The hose may be connected via the barbed coupling 210 at the end of the pump 114.
From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that an improved pump driven sprayer has been provided. Variations and modifications in the herein described apparatus within the scope of the invention will undoubtedly become apparent to those skilled in the art. According the foregoing description should be taken as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
Patent Application
20080029620
