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.

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 nozzle cap in the off position relative to the nozzle base and the trigger sprayer housing;

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

FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of the child resistant indexing nozzle assembly removed from the trigger sprayer;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 but with the nozzle cap disassembled from the nozzle base; and,

FIG. 5 is a rear perspective view of the nozzle cap and nozzle base of FIG. 4.

Claims

1. A manually operated trigger sprayer comprising: a nozzle base on the trigger sprayer having a liquid flow path through the nozzle base that directs liquid from the trigger sprayer on operation of the trigger sprayer;a nozzle cap mounted on the nozzle base for rotation of the nozzle cap between a first position and a second position of the nozzle cap relative to the nozzle base, the nozzle cap having an orifice that does not communicate with the nozzle base liquid flow path in the first position of the nozzle cap and does communicate with the nozzle base liquid flow path in the second position of the nozzle cap, the orifice having a center axis that defines mutually perpendicular axial and radial directions relative to the nozzle cap, the nozzle cap having a pair of opposing surfaces defining a notch between the pair of opposing surfaces; and,a resilient spring having an elongate length extending axially from the nozzle base to a lock tab on a distal end of the spring from the nozzle base, the spring being in an at-rest position when no external force acts on the spring, the lock tab being positioned in the nozzle cap notch preventing rotation of the nozzle cap when the nozzle cap is in the first position and the spring is in the at-rest position, and the spring being bendable toward the orifice center axis in response to a radially directed external force acting on the spring to move the lock tab radially out of the notch and enable rotation of the nozzle cap from the first position to the second position.

2. The trigger sprayer of claim 1, further comprising: the spring having a resilience that biases the spring to the at-rest position when no external force is acting on the spring.

3. The trigger sprayer of claim 2, further comprising: a finger pad on the spring projecting radially from between the spring length and the lock tab.

4. The trigger sprayer of claim 2, further comprising: a finger pad on the spring projecting radially from a side of the spring that is opposite the orifice center axis.

5. The trigger sprayer of claim 2, further comprising: the spring length being an integral extension from the nozzle base.

6. The trigger sprayer of claim 1, further comprising: a sprayer housing containing a pump chamber and a liquid discharge tube communicating with the pump chamber; and,the nozzle base being separate from the sprayer housing, the nozzle base having a liquid inlet tube that is assembled to the liquid discharge tube of the sprayer housing.

7. The trigger sprayer of claim 1, further comprising: a shroud on the trigger sprayer, the shroud having a forward edge portion that covers over the spring length.

8. The trigger sprayer of claim 7, further comprising: a finger pad on the spring projecting from the spring between the nozzle cap and the shroud forward edge portion.

9. A manually operated trigger sprayer comprising: a sprayer housing containing a pump chamber and a liquid discharge passage communicating with the pump chamber, the liquid discharge passage having a center axis that defines mutually perpendicular axial and radial directions relative to the sprayer housing;a nozzle base on the sprayer housing, the nozzle base having a liquid flow path through the nozzle base that communicates with the liquid discharge passage;a nozzle cap mounted on the nozzle base for rotation of the nozzle cap between a first position and a second position of the nozzle cap relative to the nozzle base, the nozzle cap having an orifice that does not communicate with the nozzle base liquid flow path in the first position of the nozzle cap and does communicate with the nozzle base liquid flow path in the second position of the nozzle cap, the orifice having a center axis that is parallel with the liquid discharge passage center axis, the nozzle cap having a pair of opposing surfaces that define a notch in the nozzle cap; and,a resilient spring extending from the nozzle base, the spring having an elongate length that extends along the axial direction of the liquid discharge passage center axis to a lock tab on a distal end of the spring, the spring being in an at-rest position of the spring when no external force acts on the spring and where the lock tab is positioned in the nozzle cap notch with the nozzle cap in the first position where the lock tab prevents the nozzle cap from being moved from the first position, and the spring being movable from the at-rest position by an external force acting of the spring where the lock tab is moved out of the nozzle cap notch enabling the nozzle cap to be moved from the first position to the second position.

10. The trigger sprayer of claim 9, further comprising: the spring being movable from the at-rest position against a resilient bias of the spring in response to an external force acting on the spring, and the spring resilient bias returning the spring to the at-rest position when no external for is acting on the spring.

11. The trigger sprayer of claim 10, further comprising: a finger pad projecting from the spring and being positioned on the spring between the lock tab and the nozzle base.

12. The trigger sprayer of claim 9, further comprising: a shroud mounted on the sprayer housing, the shroud covering over the spring length.

13. The trigger sprayer of claim 12, further comprising: a finger pad on the spring projecting from the spring between the nozzle cap and the shroud.

14. The trigger sprayer of claim 9, further comprising: the spring length being integral with and cantilevered from the nozzle base.

15. The trigger sprayer of claim 9, further comprising: the nozzle base being separate from the sprayer housing and being assembled to the sprayer housing.

16. A manually operated trigger sprayer comprising: a nozzle base on the trigger sprayer, the nozzle base having a liquid flow path through the nozzle base that directs liquid from the trigger sprayer on operation of the trigger sprayer;a nozzle cap mounted on the nozzle base for rotation of the nozzle cap between a first position and a second position of the nozzle cap relative to the nozzle base, the nozzle cap having an orifice that does not communicate with the nozzle base liquid flow path in the first position of the nozzle cap and does communicate with the nozzle base liquid flow path in the second position of the nozzle cap, the orifice having a center axis that defines mutually perpendicular axial and radial directions relative to the nozzle cap and the nozzle base, the nozzle cap having a notch in the nozzle cap; and,a resilient spring on the nozzle base, the spring having an elongate length with opposite proximal and distal ends, the spring length extending axially from the spring proximal end to a finger pad on the spring that projects radially from the spring, and the spring length extending axially from the finger pad to a lock tab on the distal end of the spring, the spring length extending from the nozzle base to the lock tab positioned in the nozzle cap notch when the nozzle cap is in the first position and no external force is acting of the spring, the lock tab positioned in the nozzle cap notch preventing rotation of the nozzle cap from the first position to the second position, and the spring being movable by an external force acting on the finger pad where the lock tab is moved out of the nozzle cap notch enabling the nozzle cap to be moved from the first position to the second position.

17. The trigger sprayer of claim 16, further comprising: the spring having a resilience that biases the spring into the nozzle cap notch when the nozzle cap is in the first position and no external force is acting on the finger pad.

18. The trigger sprayer of claim 17, further comprising: the spring being an integral extension of the nozzle base.

19. The trigger sprayer of claim 17, further comprising: a sprayer housing containing a pump chamber and a liquid discharge tube communicating with the pump chamber; and,the nozzle base being separate from the sprayer housing, the nozzle base having a liquid inlet tube that is assembled to the liquid discharge tube of the sprayer housing.

20. The trigger sprayer of claim 19, further comprising: a shroud on the trigger sprayer, the shroud having a forward edge portion that covers over the spring length.

21. The trigger sprayer of claim 20, further comprising: the finger pad projecting from the spring between the nozzle cap and the shroud forward edge position.

22. A manually operated trigger sprayer comprising: a sprayer housing containing a pump chamber and a liquid discharge passage communicating with the pump chamber;a nozzle base on the sprayer housing, the nozzle base having a liquid flow path through the nozzle base that communicates with the liquid discharge passage;a nozzle cap mounted on the nozzle base for rotation of the nozzle cap between a first position and a second position of the nozzle cap relative to the nozzle base, the nozzle cap having an orifice that does not communicate with the nozzle base liquid flow path in the first position of the nozzle cap and does communicate with the nozzle base liquid flow path in the second position of the nozzle cap, the nozzle cap having a lock surface on the nozzle cap;a resilient spring on the nozzle base, the spring having an elongate length that extends from the nozzle base to a lock tab on a distal end of the spring, the spring length extending from the nozzle base to the lock tab positioned adjacent the nozzle cap lock surface when the nozzle cap is in the first position and no external force is acting on the spring, the lock tab positioned adjacent the nozzle cap lock surface prevention rotation of the nozzle cap from the first position to the second position, and the spring being movable by an external force acting of the spring where the lock tab is moved away from the nozzle cap lock surface enabling the nozzle cap to be moved from the first position to the second position; and,a shroud on the sprayer housing, the shroud having a front edge portion extending over the spring length and concealing the spring length from view.

23. The trigger sprayer of claim 22, further comprising: the nozzle cap extending over the spring lock tab and concealing the lock tab from view.

24. The trigger sprayer of claim 23, further comprising: a finger pad on the spring projecting outwardly from the spring between the nozzle cap and the shroud forward edge portion.

25. The trigger sprayer of claim 24, further comprising: the spring length extending from the nozzle base to the finger pad, and from the finger pad to the lock tab projecting from the finger pad.

26. The trigger sprayer of claim 26, further comprising: the nozzle base being separate from the sprayer housing and being assembled to the sprayer housing.