Trigger Sprayer Piston Rod With Integral Spring And Ball And Socket Piston Connection

Abstract

A manually operated trigger sprayer is constructed with a reduced number of parts and in a novel manner in which the conventional metal coil spring is replaced with a pair of plastic bowed springs that are integral with the piston rod and the pump piston is connected to the piston rod by a ball and socket connection.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

Further features of the invention are set forth in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention and in the drawing figures wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side sectioned view of the trigger sprayer of the invention with the trigger in a forward position relative to the sprayer housing;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the disassembled component parts of the trigger sprayer;

FIG. 3 is a front view of the trigger sprayer;

FIG. 4 is a top view of the trigger sprayer with the shroud removed;

FIG. 5 is a side sectioned view of the trigger sprayer along the line 5-5 of FIG. 4 and with the trigger in a rearward position relative to the sprayer housing;

FIG. 6 is a side-sectioned view of the trigger sprayer similar to that of FIG. 1, but showing the piston rod with an integral spring and a ball and socket connection with the piston; and,

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the piston rod and piston of FIG. 6 removed from the trigger sprayer, with the piston shown in cross-section.

Claims

1) A manually operated trigger sprayer comprising: a sprayer housing having a pump chamber in the sprayer housing, the pump chamber having a center axis that defines mutually perpendicular axial and radial directions, a liquid inlet opening on the sprayer housing, a liquid supply passage extending through the sprayer housing communicating the liquid inlet opening with the pump chamber, a liquid outlet opening on the sprayer housing, and a liquid discharge passage extending through the sprayer housing communicating the liquid outlet opening with the pump chamber;a trigger mounted on the sprayer housing for movement of the trigger relative to the sprayer housing;a piston rod operatively connected to the trigger for movement of the piston rod in response to movement of the trigger;a pump piston mounted in the pump chamber for axial reciprocating movement of the pump piston in the pump chamber; and,a ball and socket connection between the piston rod and the pump piston, the ball and socket connection moving the piston axially in the pump chamber in response to movement of the piston rod, the ball and socket connection transferring axial components of force from movement of the piston rod to the piston and preventing transferring of radial components of force from movement of the piston rod to the piston.

2) The trigger sprayer of claim 1, further comprising: the piston rod having a ball on an end of the piston rod opposite the trigger;the pump piston having a socket, the socket receiving the piston rod ball and providing the ball and socket connection between the piston rod and the pump piston.

3) The trigger sprayer of claim 2, further comprising: the pump piston having a hollow interior bore that extends axially into the pump piston from an opening in the pump piston, the socket being positioned in the bore at an opposite end of the bore from the opening.

4) The trigger sprayer of claim 3, further comprising: a plurality of webs in the pump piston bore, the plurality of webs extending radial in the pump piston bore to curved surfaces on the webs, the curved surfaces defining the pump piston socket and engaging with the piston rod ball.

5) The trigger sprayer of claim 3, further comprising: the piston rod having a flange projecting radially from an intermediate portion of the piston rod, the flange covering over the opening to the pump piston bore.

6) The trigger sprayer of claim 5, further comprising: the piston rod having an arm that extends axially from the flange, the ball being on an opposite end of the arm from the flange.

7) The trigger sprayer of claim 6, further comprising: a spring integral with the piston rod and extending between the piston rod and the sprayer housing.

8) The trigger sprayer of claim 7, further comprising: the spring having a narrow, elongate curved length with opposite proximal and distal ends, the spring proximal end being integrally connected to the piston rod and the spring length extending from the spring proximal end outside the pump chamber to the spring distal end.

9) A manually operated trigger sprayer comprising: a sprayer housing having a pump chamber in the sprayer housing, the pump chamber having a center axis that defines mutually perpendicular axial and radial directions, a liquid inlet opening on the sprayer housing, a liquid supply passage extending though the sprayer housing communicating the liquid inlet opening with the pump chamber, a liquid outlet opening on the sprayer housing, and a liquid discharge passage extending through the sprayer housing communicating the liquid outlet opening with the pump chamber;a trigger mounted on the sprayer housing for movement of the trigger relative to the sprayer housing;a piston rod operatively connected to the trigger for movement of the piston rod in response to movement of the trigger;a spring having a length with opposite proximal and distal ends, the spring proximal end being connected to the piston rod with the spring length extending from the proximal end and the piston rod to the spring distal end;a pump piston mounted in the pump chamber for axially reciprocating movement of the pump piston in the pump chamber; and,a ball and socket connection between the piston rod and the pump piston, the ball and socket connection moving the piston axially in the pump chamber in response to axial component forces acting on the piston rod that are transferred to the pump piston by the ball and socket connection where radial component forces acting on the piston rod are not transferred to the pump piston by the ball and socket connection.

10) The trigger sprayer of claim 9, further comprising: the spring having a curved length that extends from the spring proximal end outside of the pump chamber to the spring distal end.

11) The trigger sprayer of claim 9, further comprising: the spring being one of a pair of springs integrally connected to the piston rod, each spring having a proximal end integrally connected to the piston rod and each spring having a length extending from the proximal end away from the piston rod to a distal end of the spring.

12) The trigger sprayer of claim 9, further comprising: the piston rod having a ball on an end of the piston rod opposite the trigger;the pump piston having a socket, the socket receiving the piston rod ball and providing the ball and socket connection between the piston rod and the pump piston.

13) The trigger sprayer of claim 12, further comprising: the pump piston having a hollow interior bore that extends axially into the pump piston from an opening in the piston to the socket at an opposite end of the bore from the opening.

14) The trigger sprayer of claim 13, further comprising: the piston having at least one curved surface inside the piston bore at an opposite end of the bore from the bore opening, the at least one curved surface engaging with the piston rod ball and providing the ball and socket connection between the piston rod and the pump piston.

15) The trigger sprayer of claim 14, further comprising: the at least one curved surface being one of a plurality of separate curved surfaces spacially arranged around the pump chamber center axis in the pump piston bore, the plurality of curved surfaces engaging around the piston rod ball and providing the ball and socket connection between the piston rod and the pump piston.

16) The trigger sprayer of claim 13, further comprising: a plurality of webs in the pump piston bore, the plurality of webs extending radial in the pump piston bore to curved surfaces on the webs, the curved surfaces defining the pump piston socket and engaging with the piston rod ball.

17) The trigger sprayer of claim 16, further comprising: the piston rod having a flange projecting radially from an intermediate portion of the piston rod, the flange covering over the opening to the pump piston bore.

18) The trigger sprayer of claim 17, further comprising: the piston rod having an arm that extends axially from the flange, the ball being on an opposite end of the arm from the flange.

19) A manually operated trigger sprayer comprising: a sprayer housing having a cylindrical pump chamber wall containing a pump chamber, the pump chamber having a center axis that defines mutually perpendicular axial and radial directions relative to the trigger sprayer, a liquid inlet opening on the sprayer housing and a liquid supply passage extending through the sprayer housing and communicating the liquid inlet opening with the pump chamber, a liquid outlet opening on the sprayer housing and a liquid discharge passage extending through the sprayer housing and communicating the liquid outlet opening with the pump chamber;a trigger mounted on the sprayer housing for movement of the trigger relative to the sprayer housing;a piston rod having an axial length with opposite forward and rearward ends, the piston rod forward end being operatively connected to the trigger for movement of the piston rod in response to movement of the trigger, the piston rod rearward end having a shape of a ball on the piston rod;a pump piston mounted in the pump chamber wall for axial reciprocating movement of the pump piston in the pump chamber, the pump piston having a hollow interior bore extending axially into the piston from a bore opening at an end of the piston adjacent the piston rod, the piston having at least one curved surface inside the piston bore at an opposite end of the bore from the bore opening, the at least one curved surface engaging with the piston rod ball and providing a ball and socket connection between the piston rod and the pump piston; anda pair of narrow, elongate curved springs with opposite proximal and distal ends, the spring proximal ends being integrally connected to the piston rod and the spring lengths extending from the piston rod across the pump chamber wall outside the pump chamber to the distal ends of the springs.

20) The trigger sprayer of claim 19, further comprising: the pump piston having a plurality of curved surfaces in the pump piston bore and positioned on opposite sides of the pump chamber center axis, the at least one curved surface being one of the plurality of curved surfaces, and the plurality of curved surface engaging with the piston rod ball and providing the ball and socket connection between the piston rod ball and the pump piston.

21) The trigger sprayer of claim 20, further comprising: the pump piston having a plurality of webs that extend radially into the pump piston bore to the plurality of curved surfaces on the plurality of webs, the plurality of webs being spacially arranged around the pump chamber center axis.