spray dispenser

Abstract

A handheld spray dispenser in which air and liquid are pressurized toward a turbulence chamber, and wherein air is introduced into the liquid through an inlet orifice adjacent to the turbulence chamber, and the mixture enters the turbulence chamber through the inlet orifice before being discharged through an outlet orifice.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of spray dispensers, particularly spray dispensers that do not require the presence of liquefied propellant gas in the formulation products to be sprayed. Background Technology

[0002] To mitigate global warming, there is a desire to minimize the amount of hydrocarbons and other aerosol propellants emitted into the atmosphere. Furthermore, there is a desire to avoid emitting gases that could damage the ozone layer, such as certain chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). These aspirations have led to research into spray dispensers that can operate efficiently without requiring the use of liquefied propellant gases, whether hydrocarbons or other gases, in the formulation being sprayed. Typically, nitrogen is used in such dispensers to influence spray generation.

[0003] US 5,323,935 (Procter & Gamble, 1994) discloses a dispenser for aerosol consumer products, which includes a bubble injection device for forming bubbles in a liquid to be sprayed, the bubbles being larger than the diameter of the dispenser's outlet orifice.

[0004] WO2005 / 016550A1 (Unilever, 2005) discloses a household spray dispenser having means for injecting bubbles into a liquid film and a continuous air pump.

[0005] EP 462,281B1 (Yoshino Kogyosho Co., 1996) discloses a liquid jet blower that avoids the problem of unwanted droplets being generated in systems that use pressurized air to generate liquid jets under low-pressure conditions.

[0006] A device for providing energy to generate a spray from a household spray dispenser is a key feature of at least some embodiments of the present invention. Preferably, this is done in a renewable manner, and particularly preferably, the energy can be provided by the user of the dispenser.

[0007] JP2015227197A (Yoshino Kogyosho Co., 2015) discloses a foam dispenser that includes a conversion mechanism for converting a rotary motion into an upward motion of a plunger for pressurizing a composition to be dispensed.

[0008] US 5,405,060 A (Von Schuckmann, 1995) discloses a liquid spray dispenser with an air pump that can be driven by a handle through back-and-forth movement.

[0009] General Description

[0010] One object of the present invention is to be able to produce high-quality sprays without the need to use liquefied propellant gas in the formulation to be sprayed.

[0011] Another object of the present invention is to provide a handheld spray dispenser operated by manually pressurizing air and liquid, wherein the air and liquid are mixed to produce a high-quality spray.

[0012] Another object of the present invention is to provide a handheld spray dispenser with good ergonomics.

[0013] Another object of the present invention is to provide a handheld spray dispenser that produces an aerosol rather than foam, particularly regarding any other aspect of the invention.

[0014] In a first aspect of the invention, a handheld spray dispenser is provided, comprising a liquid chamber, an air chamber, and a turbulence chamber. The turbulence chamber includes an inlet or outlet, thereby preventing liquid in the liquid chamber and air in the air chamber from flowing into the turbulence chamber via one or more valves. When one or more valves are released, liquid is forced under pressure to flow from the liquid chamber into the turbulence chamber via a liquid conduit at a flow rate of 0.15 to 0.6 g / s, and air is forced under pressure to flow from the air chamber into the turbulence chamber via an air conduit at a flow rate of 0.4 to 3.0 L / min. Adjacent to the inlet or outlet of the turbulence chamber, air is introduced into the liquid, and the mixture enters the turbulence chamber through the inlet or outlet before being discharged through the outlet.

[0015] In a second aspect of the invention, a method for topical application of a cosmetic composition is provided, the method comprising using a spray dispenser according to a first aspect of the invention, which is equivalent to using a spray dispenser according to a first aspect of the invention to topically apply the cosmetic composition. In the second aspect of the invention, particular benefits arise from the ergonomic design when the composition is applied to the underarm area of ​​the human body.

[0016] In a third aspect of the invention, a method for reloading a spray dispenser according to a first aspect of the invention is provided, wherein the liquid chamber is completely contained within a refill unit that can be reversibly attached to other elements of the dispenser.

[0017] In a fourth aspect of the invention, a method for generating a spray from a liquid is provided, the method comprising the steps of: (i) holding a liquid in a liquid chamber and holding air in an air chamber by using one or more valves; (ii) releasing the valves and forcing the liquid into a turbulent chamber via a liquid conduit at a pressure of 0.15 to 0.6 g / s, and forcing air into the turbulent chamber via an air conduit at a pressure of 0.4 to 3.0 L / min; (iii) introducing air into the liquid through an inlet orifice adjacent to the turbulent chamber; and (iv) allowing the resulting mixture to enter the turbulent chamber through the inlet orifice and then exit through an outlet orifice of the turbulent chamber.

[0018] In a fourth aspect of the invention, the liquid is preferably a liquid cosmetic composition, and the composition is applied topically to the human body surface.

[0019] The excellent ergonomics of this invention relates to its ease of use, particularly the ease with which the spray dispenser can be used for filling, especially in certain preferred embodiments (see below). Another ergonomic advantage of the preferred embodiments of the invention relates to the ease with which the dispenser can be incorporated into a refill unit.

[0020] The spray dispensers of the present invention are typically manually operated. In preferred embodiments, they can be used to spray home care formulations, personal care formulations, or pharmaceutical formulations. The spray dispensers of the present invention are preferably used with home care formulations or personal care formulations, more preferably with personal care formulations, and especially with those formulations applied to the human body surface, because the resulting spray typically has good sensory properties.

[0021] In this document, the medicinal spray dispenser includes inhalers as well as dispensers for topical treatment of skin diseases, for topical disinfection, for topical wound dressing, and for topical treatment of systemic diseases. This list is not exhaustive, but each of the listed options represents a specific possible application of the invention.

[0022] In this document, household care formulation products include hard surface cleaners, room fresheners, laundry products, and plant care products. This list is not exhaustive, but each of the listed options represents a specific possible application of the present invention.

[0023] In this document, personal care formulations (also known as cosmetic formulations or cosmetic compositions) include deodorants and antiperspirants, perfumes, hair care formulations, oral care formulations, and skin care formulations (including sunscreens and cosmetic formulations). This list is not exhaustive, but each of the listed options represents a specific possible application of the present invention.

[0024] In this document, orientation terms such as “horizontal / vertical” and “up / down” refer to the dispenser and / or its components when the dispenser is oriented vertically, with the outlet orifice facing upwards, unless otherwise defined.

[0025] In this article, the “front” of the dispenser refers to the location of the outlet orifice of the spray produced by the dispenser.

[0026] In this article, the “upper middle and lower middle” of the dispenser refers to the axial portion of the dispenser that does not extend far to its top or bottom, but rather extends upward from approximately the axial middle of the dispenser and downward from approximately the axial middle of the dispenser, respectively.

[0027] In this article, "clockwise" and "counterclockwise" refer to the dispenser when viewed from above.

[0028] In this document, any feature of a particular aspect or embodiment of the invention may be used in any other aspect of the invention. Any feature described as “preferred” should be understood as being particularly preferred in combination with one or more other preferred features. Any feature described as preferred in a particular aspect or embodiment of the invention should be understood as a preferred feature in other aspects or embodiments of the invention.

[0029] In this article, the word “include” is intended to mean “to contain”, but not necessarily “to consist of” or “to constitute”, i.e., its use is not exhaustive.

[0030] Unless otherwise stated, a range of values ​​expressed in the format “x to y” should be understood to include both x and y.

[0031] Detailed description

[0032] A typical spray dispenser according to the invention is cylindrical. In most embodiments, the turbulence chamber and outlet orifice face the top of the dispenser. A rotatable, manually operated actuation element may preferably be located at the center of the dispenser and / or facing the bottom of the dispenser.

[0033] In some preferred embodiments of the invention, the components, from top to bottom, are: a turbulent cavity and an outlet hole above the air cavity; an air cavity above the manual start element and the energy storage body; and a manual start element and the energy storage body above the liquid cavity.

[0034] In the preferred embodiment described in the previous paragraph, the air cavity is preferably located in the upper middle part of the distributor; the manual start element and one or more energy storage bodies are located in the lower middle part of the distributor; and the liquid cavity is located at the bottom of the distributor.

[0035] In some other preferred embodiments of the invention, the components, from top to bottom, are: a turbulent cavity and an outlet orifice above the liquid cavity; a liquid cavity above the manual start element and the energy storage body; and a manual start element and the energy storage body above the air cavity.

[0036] In the preferred embodiment described in the previous paragraph, the turbulence chamber and outlet orifice are located at the top of the distributor; the liquid chamber is located in the upper middle part of the distributor; the manual start element and one or more energy storage bodies are located in the lower middle part of the distributor; and the air chamber is located at the bottom of the distributor.

[0037] In each embodiment of the invention, the outlet hole is preferably positioned adjacent to the cylindrical sidewall of the dispenser.

[0038] In a preferred embodiment, air is released from the air chamber while liquid is released from the liquid chamber. In some particularly preferred embodiments, the time period for air to be released from the air chamber is extended beyond the time period for liquid to be released from the liquid chamber, in order to clear the turbulence chamber and the outlet orifice.

[0039] In a preferred embodiment, the air chamber may be in the form of an inflatable bellows that expands when air is drawn in and contracts when air is forced out. In this embodiment, air is drawn into the bellows during the initiation or filling step, and is forced out of the bellows during the actuation (i.e., spray generation). In some preferred embodiments of this type, the air forced out of the bellows is also used to pressurize the liquid in the liquid chamber toward the turbulence chamber.

[0040] Whether in the form of a bellows or another, the air chamber typically includes an inlet valve that allows air to enter as the air chamber expands.

[0041] Preferably, the volume of the air chamber is 50 to 200 times that of the liquid chamber, and particularly preferably, the ratio is 75:1 to 150:1. This helps to achieve the desired flow rates of air and liquid into the turbulent chamber.

[0042] In a preferred embodiment, air is released from the air chamber and pressurized into the turbulence chamber at a flow rate of 0.4-3.0 L / min. This flow rate can improve the spray quality and can be achieved through conventional adjustments, particularly by adjusting the air pressure applied to the air chamber.

[0043] In a preferred embodiment, the air is pressurized to 0.3-3 bar before being forced out of the air chamber. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the air is pressurized to 0.3-3 bar in the air chamber, resulting in a flow rate of 0.4-3.0 L / min to the turbulence chamber. This pressure and flow rate can be achieved through conventional adjustment, particularly by adjusting the liquid pressure applied to the liquid chamber.

[0044] In some preferred embodiments of the invention, air from the air chamber is used to pressurize the liquid in the liquid chamber, thereby forcing it to flow into the turbulent flow chamber. These embodiments preferably use only one energy storage element, which is preferably a spring.

[0045] In a preferred embodiment, liquid is released from the liquid chamber and pressurized into the turbulent chamber at a flow rate of 0.15-0.6 g / s. This flow rate results in improved spray quality, particularly when combined with the aforementioned preferred airflow rate of 0.4-3.0 L / min.

[0046] In embodiments where air from the air chamber is not used to pressurize the liquid in the liquid chamber, two energy storage bodies can be used: one for pressurizing the liquid in the liquid chamber and one for pressurizing the air in the air chamber. The energy storage body is preferably a spring.

[0047] In a preferred embodiment, the liquid chamber is part of a refill unit. This refill unit can be mounted at the bottom of the dispenser, below the manual actuation element, or it can be mounted in the central axial region, typically above the manual actuation element.

[0048] The refill unit used in this invention can be incorporated as a refill of a filling that is sold together with its contents (i.e., the liquid or composition to be sprayed).

[0049] In some embodiments, when the liquid in the liquid chamber is emptied, the refill unit can be removed and the liquid chamber refilled, and then the refill unit can be reinserted.

[0050] When in use, the refill unit typically has a sealed top that needs to be removed or punctured before use. In some embodiments, with the seal removed, a draw tube from the dispenser can be inserted into the liquid chamber of the refill unit. In other embodiments, the refill unit has an integrated draw tube that needs to be coupled to a liquid conduit within the dispenser.

[0051] In a preferred embodiment, the spray generated by the dispenser is a fine spray having a Sotter average droplet size (D[3,2]) of less than 100 micrometers, preferably 5 to 100 micrometers, more preferably 5 to 70 micrometers, and most preferably 10 to 60 micrometers.

[0052] The fine spray typically produced by the dispenser according to the invention is largely a result of the way air and liquid flows are mixed. The invention relates to introducing air into the liquid near the inlet orifice of a turbulence chamber. This creates an air-liquid mixture before it enters the turbulence chamber, thereby producing a high-quality fine spray.

[0053] In this article, "adjacent to the inlet hole" means "close to" the inlet hole, but before entering the inlet hole.

[0054] The point where air is introduced into the liquid can be considered the end of the air duct.

[0055] The point at which air is introduced into the liquid is preferably within 5 mm of the inlet orifice of the turbulent cavity, and more preferably within 2 mm.

[0056] In a preferred embodiment, the distance from the location where air is introduced into the liquid to the inlet orifice of the turbulence cavity is less than the depth of the turbulence cavity.

[0057] In this paper, the depth of the turbulent cavity is the distance between the inner ends of the inlet and outlet orifices within the cavity, measured relative to the linear axis of the turbulent cavity, which has an outlet orifice at its “top” and an inlet orifice at its “bottom”.

[0058] A preferred feature of a turbulence chamber is that its inlet and outlet orifices are radially offset, i.e., they are not radially aligned. This tends to increase turbulence within the chamber and improve spray quality. This is particularly preferred in embodiments where the inlet and outlet orifices are parallel to each other.

[0059] Another preferred feature of the turbulence cavity is that the diameter of its inlet orifice is equal to or greater than the diameter of its outlet orifice, which can further increase turbulence in the cavity and improve spray quality, especially when combined with the features described in the previous paragraph.

[0060] Here, the diameters of the inlet and outlet orifices of the turbulent cavity are the minimum cross-sectional distances spanning these channels.

[0061] One or more valves controlling the flow of liquid from the liquid chamber and air from the air chamber to the turbulent chamber are key components of the spray dispenser according to the invention. One or more valves prevent liquid from the liquid chamber and air from the air chamber from entering the turbulent chamber via their respective conduits until the valves sealing the flow from each to the turbulent chamber are released. Air and liquid are allowed to flow into the turbulent chamber when one or more valves are typically released via a trigger.

[0062] In some particularly preferred embodiments, a single seal (e.g., an O-ring) is used to seal the passageways for both the liquid in the liquid chamber and the air in the air chamber to enter the turbulent chamber via their respective conduits.

[0063] When one or more valves are open, air from the air chamber is forced under pressure to flow from the air chamber to the turbulence chamber via an air conduit. In some preferred embodiments, the pressurized air from the air chamber is also used to pressurize the liquid in the liquid chamber, forcing it to flow from the liquid chamber to the turbulence chamber via a liquid conduit. In other embodiments, the liquid can be pressurized from the liquid chamber by a spring, and can also be filled, i.e., powered, by the action of a manually activated element.

[0064] In a preferred embodiment, the air duct has a flow restrictor that helps limit the airflow rate within a desired range. This flow restrictor may have a diameter, for example, from 0.6 to 1.0 mm.

[0065] In embodiments employing more than one valve to open the flow of air and liquid from the air chamber to the turbulent chamber, two valves are preferably used: one valve controls the air flow and the other controls the liquid flow. In such embodiments, the valves are preferably designed to open simultaneously, and particularly preferably, the air flow valve is designed to remain open for a longer period than the liquid flow valve to purge residual liquid from the turbulent chamber.

[0066] A highly preferred additional feature of the invention is a manually activated element for energizing one or more energy storage bodies held within the distributor, which pressurize air in the air chamber and liquid in the liquid chamber toward the turbulent chamber.

[0067] The manually activated element is preferably a rotatable element, such as a collar surrounding the dispenser in a plane orthogonal to the major axis of the spray dispenser. In such embodiments, the collar can rotate independently of other elements of the dispenser, or it can rotate together with an attached liquid chamber, which is typically part of a refill unit.

[0068] In some embodiments, particularly those where the air cavity is located at the bottom of the distributor, a manually activated element may be employed, which constitutes the entire lower portion of the distributor, containing the air cavity and encapsulating one or more energy storage bodies.

[0069] To aid in the ergonomics of the distributor, it is preferable that the manual actuation element can be rotated using unidirectional torsion to power one or more energy storage cells. This can be accomplished through a single unidirectional torsion or multiple torsions in the same direction. In a preferred embodiment, additional torsion can be applied to the manual actuation element midway through distributor operation to power one or more energy storage cells again.

[0070] In a preferred embodiment, a spring is present as at least one of the energy storage bodies. In a particularly preferred embodiment, each energy storage body present is a spring.

[0071] In this invention, the spring used as an energy storage body is preferably a compression spring.

[0072] Preferably, after the distributor is driven, the manual start element does not need to rotate back to its original position. That is, preferably, the distributor resets itself during the drive to prepare for further start-up. This can be achieved by setting appropriate cams and cam followers within the distributor (see below).

[0073] As further described herein, the preferred dispenser according to the invention has two operating phases: “start-up” when the dispenser is charged or filled and energy is stored in the energy storage body, and “drive” when energy is released from the energy storage body and liquid and air are forced out of their respective chambers and a spray is generated therefrom.

[0074] The dispenser of the present invention is particularly suitable for topical application of cosmetic compositions due to its ergonomics. Such compositions must be aerosolizable, liquid at 25°C and atmospheric pressure, and preferably contain a cosmetically acceptable carrier stream and "active substance".

[0075] Cosmetic carrier flows suitable for use with compositions of the present invention include water and ethanol. The compositions may be solutions or emulsions.

[0076] Active substances that can be incorporated into the cosmetic compositions used in this invention are advantageously those that are typically applied to the underarm area of ​​the human body, particularly deodorant active substances, especially including antiperspirant active substances.

[0077] Specific embodiments and further detailed description

[0078] The invention will now be described further with reference to specific embodiments. These embodiments are illustrated in the following figures. These specific embodiments are intended to illustrate the invention, and not to limit it.

[0079] The description of specific elements of the spray dispenser (1) (e.g., refill units (7, 107, 207, 307)) may be used in conjunction with each of the other features described herein to the extent feasible.

[0080] Figure 1 This is a front view of a first embodiment of the spray dispenser (1) according to the present invention.

[0081] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the spray dispenser (1) shown.

[0082] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 The spray dispenser (1) shown is a cross-sectional view, but it is in the "filling" (also known as "filling") state.

[0083] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 Isometric view of the spray dispenser (1) shown.

[0084] Figure 5 yes Figures 1 to 4 An enlarged cross-sectional view of the upper part of the spray dispenser (1) shown, in which the trigger (23) is turned off.

[0085] Figure 6 yes Figures 1 to 4 An enlarged cross-sectional view of the upper part of the spray dispenser (1) shown, in which the trigger (23) is turned on.

[0086] Figure 7 This is a cross-sectional view of a refill unit (107) with an integrated extraction tube (132).

[0087] Figure 8 yes Figure 7 An exploded cross-sectional view of the refilled unit (107) shown.

[0088] Figure 9 This applies to several embodiments of the present invention (including...) Figures 1 to 6 Detailed cross-sectional view of the nozzle (34) and associated components in the embodiment shown.

[0089] Figure 10 This is a view of the inlet base (36), which forms part of a nozzle (34) suitable for use with various embodiments of the present invention.

[0090] Figure 11 This is a view of a mechanical crushing unit (37), which constitutes another part of a nozzle (34) suitable for use with various embodiments of the present invention.

[0091] Figure 12 This is a front view of a second embodiment of the spray dispenser (101) according to the invention, wherein the collar (106) can rotate independently of the refill unit (107).

[0092] Figure 13 yes Figure 12 A cross-sectional view of the spray dispenser (101) shown.

[0093] Figure 14 yes Figure 13 An isometric view of the spray dispenser (101) shown, but the bellows (110) is slightly bulging.

[0094] Figure 15 This is an exploded view of another embodiment of the spray dispenser (201) according to the invention, wherein the refill unit (207) can be assembled into the dispenser (201) from the center, but is shown in the figure as separate from the dispenser (201).

[0095] Figure 16 yes Figure 15 The view of the embodiment shown is shown, but the filling unit (207) is inserted into the distributor (201).

[0096] Figure 17 yes Figure 16The cross-sectional view of the spray dispenser (201) shown is shown, wherein the air chamber (210) is a bellows (210) in a compressed state.

[0097] Figure 18 yes Figure 17 The diagram shows a cross-sectional view of the spray dispenser (201), but the bellows (210) has been expanded.

[0098] Figure 19 yes Figure 18 Enlarged cross-sectional view of the central portion of the spray dispenser (201) shown.

[0099] Figure 20 This is a schematic diagram of a selected feature of another embodiment, in which the liquid is forced out of the liquid chamber (308) under direct mechanical pressure.

[0100] Figure 21 Is with Figure 20 The embodiment shown is a schematic diagram of selected features similar to those of other embodiments, but this embodiment has concentric pistons (442, 445) that pressurize the liquid chamber and the air chamber (408 and 409, respectively).

[0101] Figures 22 to 25 This is a schematic diagram of the various stages of the distribution of an embodiment that directly pressurizes the liquid in the liquid chamber (509) again, which has a single manually activated element (551).

[0102] Figure 1 The relative positioning of features of a first embodiment of the spray dispenser (1) according to the invention, as seen from the front outside, is shown. The dispenser (1) includes a spray-through cap (2) with a hole (3) at its top, through which an outlet hole (4) is visible, through which the spray generated by the dispenser (1) is ejected. Immediately below the spray-through cap (2) is a cylindrical housing (5), and immediately below that is a rotatable collar (6). Immediately below the collar (6) is a refill unit (7) for the dispenser (1). Further details of each of these and other features are given below.

[0103] Figures 1 to 4 The spray dispenser (1) shown includes a liquid chamber (8) and an air chamber (9). The liquid chamber (8) holds the liquid composition (LC) to be sprayed, and the air chamber (9) is in the form of an inflatable bellows (10). Figure 2 The image shows a collapsed state. Figure 3 The image shows the inflated state. The liquid chamber (8) is the main part of the refill unit (7).

[0104] The bellows (10) moves from collapsed to inflated via a rotatable collar (6), which sits around the periphery of the spray dispenser (1) in a plane orthogonal to the major axis A of the spray dispenser (1) and is located below the bellows (10). In this embodiment, the collar (6) is attached to a refill unit (7) including a liquid chamber (8), which rotates as the collar (6) rotates. The refill unit (7) is reversibly attached to the collar (6) via a thread (11) between the neck (12) of the refill unit (7) and an inner cylindrical receiver (12) located within the collar (6).

[0105] The collar (6) has two notches (13) cut into its inner surface, which accommodate two spherical cam followers (14). The spherical cam followers (14) are designed to follow two cam ramps (15) on the outer surface of the inner base (16) and move upward along the cam ramps (15) when the collar (6) rotates counterclockwise. The spherical cam followers (14) are held in a fixed position on the inner surface of the collar (6) by the notches (13) in which they are seated; thus, when the collar (6) rotates counterclockwise, the inner base (16) is forced downward into the rotatable collar (6).

[0106] The bellows (10) is attached to the top of the inner base (16) at its lower end. When the inner base (16) is forced downward, the bellows (10) is pulled open and air enters the bellows (10) through the check valve (17). When the ball cam follower (14) has reached the top of its cam ramp (15), the bellows (10) is fully expanded, as... Figure 3 and 4 As shown.

[0107] An inner base (16), shaped like an inverted cup, houses the main spring (18), which powers the spray mechanism. When the inner base (16) is forced downwards, the main spring (18) is compressed. The main spring (18) reaches its maximum compression when the ball cam follower (14) has reached the top of its cam ramp (15) and the bellows (10) is fully expanded. Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown.

[0108] The bellows (10) has a circular cross-section, and closely surrounding the bellows (10) is a cylindrical outer shell (5). When the bellows (10) collapses, the outer shell (5) also surrounds most of the inner base (16). The cylindrical outer shell (5) is attached to a rotatable collar (6) by snap-fit ​​connecting elements (19, 20), which extend substantially around the lower circumference of the cylindrical outer shell (5) and the upper circumference of the rotatable collar (6), and allow the rotatable collar (6) to rotate relative to the cylindrical outer shell (5).

[0109] Positioned around the inner surface of the housing (5) are multiple vertical splines (21) that extend inward a short distance toward the central axis (A) of the distributor. These splines (21) interact with spline followers (22) that are radially recessed into the upper part of the inner base (16). The interaction between the splines (21) and the spline followers (22) prevents the inner base (16) from rotating relative to the housing (5).

[0110] Rotating counterclockwise past the top of the cam ramp (15), the cam ramp (15) terminates at a cliff (15P), one of which is like... Figure 2 As shown. When the spherical cam follower (14) has reached this rotational position, the inner base (16) is pushed upward by the main spring (18) to a certain extent because the cam ramp (15) is no longer held downward by the spherical cam follower (14). As the inner base (16) moves upward, the bellows (10) is compressed, but only until the air pressure in the bellows (10) maintained by the check valve (17) is sufficient to counteract the force from the main spring (18). When this position is reached, the spray dispenser (1) is filled and ready to be driven. Drive is achieved by pressing the trigger (23) on top of the spray dispenser (1).

[0111] In some embodiments not shown, a blocking element may be present to prevent the collar (6) from rotating significantly beyond the rotational position mentioned in the previous paragraph. In other embodiments (not shown), a sensory indicator indicating that the position has been reached may be present.

[0112] The effect of pressing the trigger (23) is as follows Figure 5 and 6 As shown. The trigger (23) is designed to pull the horizontal conduit (24) backward, which is radially aligned with the spray orifice (4) within the spray through cap (3). The trigger (23) has a hinge point (25) located below the horizontal conduit (24) and acts on a blocking element (26) located above and rigidly attached to the conduit (24). The trigger (23) bends into a right-angle shape, thereby applying downward pressure at the end of the trigger (23) to cause lateral pressure on the blocking element (26), which in turn pulls the conduit (24) back. As the conduit (24) is pulled back, the valve spring (27) (see below) is compressed. When the trigger is released, the compressed valve spring (27) forces the horizontal conduit (24) back to its original position.

[0113] The horizontal conduit (24) includes a central air passage (28) and an annular liquid passage (29) surrounding it, in which the aforementioned valve spring (27) sits.

[0114] In other embodiments not shown, it may have a central liquid channel and an surrounding annular air channel.

[0115] The central air passage (28) is connected to the bellows (10) via a flexible air duct (30), and the annular liquid passage (29) is connected to the refill unit (7) and its contents via a central axial liquid duct (31) connected to a flexible draw tube (32), which enters the liquid composition (LC) in the liquid chamber (8).

[0116] Pulling back the horizontal conduit (24) with the trigger (23) opens the O-ring seal (33), which is located between the horizontal conduit (24) and the nozzle (34) located at the front of the dispenser and including the outlet orifice (4). When the horizontal conduit (24) is not pulled back, the O-ring seal (33) is firmly held closed by the valve spring (27). When the O-ring seal (33) is open, air from the air passage (28) and liquid from the annular liquid passage (29) are allowed to enter the nozzle (34), such as Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown.

[0117] Air from the air passage (28) is pressurized by the main spring (18) and forced from the bellows (10) into the nozzle (34) via the flexible air duct (30). When this happens, the bellows (10) is compressed and the inner base (16) rises under the pressure of the main spring (18).

[0118] Liquid from the annular liquid channel (29) is forced under pressure from the liquid chamber (8) through the central liquid conduit (31) and the suction pipe (32) into the nozzle (34). In this embodiment, the liquid composition (LC) in the liquid chamber (8) is supplied by air from the bellows (10) via... Figure 2 and Figure 3 The air-refill conduit (35) is pressurized. The air-refill conduit (35) holds the central liquid conduit (31) within it and is connected in such a way to an inner cylindrical receiver (12) located within a collar (6) that the inner cylindrical receiver (12) can rotate relative to the air-refill conduit (35) and the associated central liquid conduit (31). The inner cylindrical receiver (12) rotates about an O-ring seal (35S) between its inner circumference and the outer circumference of the air-refill conduit (35), as shown. Figure 2 and Figure 3 The cross-section is shown in the figure.

[0119] In other embodiments, the liquid in the liquid chamber (8) may be pressurized in other ways.

[0120] The suction tube (32) can extend directly from the central liquid conduit (31), or as... Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, it can be integrated into a refill unit (107). In such an embodiment, the top of the draw tube (132) is held statically in the neck (112) of the refill unit (107) via a sealing interface (141). This also helps to seal the top of the draw tube (132) to the bottom of the central fluid conduit (31) when the refill unit (107) is inserted. The top of the draw tube (132) is typically covered by a seal (142), which needs to be removed or punctured before the refill unit (107) is inserted.

[0121] Figure 9 Detailed views of the nozzle (34) and the end of the horizontal conduit (24) are given when the O-ring seal (33) is open. The nozzle (34) consists of two parts that fit together tightly. First, there is a valve base (36), which... Figure 10 Furthermore, it is shown that, secondly, there is a mechanical crushing unit (37), which in Figure 11 This is further illustrated in the text.

[0122] When the valve is closed, the O-ring seal (33) seals against the inner surface of the valve base (36). This blocks the inlet hole (38) through the inner wall (39) of the valve base (36). When the O-ring seal (33) is released, air from the air passage (28) and liquid from the liquid passage (29) mix near the inlet hole (38) before entering the turbulence chamber (40) or “turbulence cavity” (40) via the inlet hole (38). The turbulence chamber (40) exists between the valve base (36) and the mechanical breakup unit (37) and has an annular shape. The turbulence chamber (40) generates chaotic flow, which generally reduces the bubble size in the liquid, which enhances atomization as the air-liquid mixture leaves the turbulence chamber (40) via the outlet hole (4) located centrally at the outer edge of the mechanical breakup unit (37). The chaotic flow within the turbulence chamber (40) can be further enhanced by recessed channels (40) that cut into the inner surface of the mechanical breakup unit (37). In this embodiment, there are four recessed channels (40) that extend tangentially away from the outlet hole (4).

[0123] In another embodiment of the invention, the rotatable collar (106) can rotate independently of the associated refill unit (107). This embodiment... Figures 12 to 14 As shown in the image. Figure 12 The positioning of the main components is shown, with a rotatable collar (106) positioned around the lower middle part of the dispenser (101), and the refill unit (107) located below it. The collar (106) is designed to rotate about the long axis (B) of the cylindrical dispenser (101).

[0124] Figures 12 to 14 The illustrated embodiments share Figures 1 to 11 Many features of the first embodiment shown are therefore not described in further detail with reference to that embodiment. These features function in a similar manner to those disclosed in the first embodiment described above.

[0125] Figure 13 and 14 The second embodiment is shown, comprising a bellows (110), a main spring (118), and a refill unit (107). The refill unit (107) has a liquid chamber (108) and a neck (112), the neck (112) being reversibly attached to an inner cylindrical receiver (112) by threads (111). The inner cylindrical receiver (112) is kept stationary due to being molded to an axial air-refill conduit (135), which in turn is kept stationary by the top of an axially movable inner base (116).

[0126] There is also a rotatable collar (106) that is responsible for pulling down the inner base (116) in a manner similar to that seen in the first embodiment described above, thereby expanding the bellows (110) and compressing the main spring (118).

[0127] In this second embodiment, the inner cylindrical receiver (112) holding the neck (112) of the refill unit (107) is attached to the collar (106) by a pressure strip (106B) protruding from the inner surface of the collar (106) and a recess (112R) that accommodates the pressure strip (106B) in the outer circumference of the inner cylindrical receiver (112). The pressure strip (106B) and the recess (112R) allow the collar (106) to rotate relative to the inner cylindrical receiver (112) in a manner similar to the snap-fit ​​connection elements (19, 20) between the lower circumference of the cylindrical housing (5) and the upper circumference of the rotatable collar (6) in the first embodiment described above. The pressure strip (106B) and the recess (112R) described above with reference to the second embodiment can also be essentially "snap-fit".

[0128] In a further embodiment of the invention, the refill unit (207) may be centrally loaded into the spray dispenser (201). These embodiments include, for example... Figures 15 to 19 As shown. Figure 15 This is an exploded view showing the refill unit (207) separated from the spray dispenser (201). A seal (246) for holding the contents of the refill unit (207) is also shown. The refill unit (207) needs to be removed before it is laterally inserted into the dispenser (201). Figure 16 A spray dispenser (201) with a refill unit (207) inserted is shown.

[0129] In a preferred embodiment with a centrally loaded refill unit (207), the refill unit (207) has an integrated or molded draw tube (232), such as Figure 15 As shown. Before the refill unit (207) is inserted, the top of the molded draw tube (232) is covered by a seal (246). When the seal (246) has been removed or punctured and the refill unit (207) is inserted, the top of the draw tube (232) is connected to an upper axial liquid conduit (231), which in turn is connected to an annular liquid channel (233) in a horizontal conduit (224) in the spray penetration cap (203). These elements operate in a manner similar to equivalent features (32, 31, 33 and 24) in the first embodiment described above herein. At the lower end of the draw tube (232), there is an inlet hole (247) that allows the liquid composition (LC) to enter the draw tube (232) from the liquid chamber (208).

[0130] Figures 17 to 19 Further features of the spray dispenser (201) are shown, including a centrally loaded refill unit (207). A cylindrical housing (205) surrounds and holds the refill unit (207). The housing (205) not only houses the refill unit (207) but also a portion of a flexible air duct (230) extending from a bellows (210) at the bottom of the dispenser (201) into and adjacent to a spray penetration cap (203) at the top of the dispenser (201) (see below).

[0131] Extending downwards from the outer casing (205) is an inner base (216), which performs the same function as the inner base (16) of the first embodiment of the present invention as described above. Surrounding the inner base (216) is a rotatable collar (206), which shares key features with the rotatable collar (6) of the first embodiment of the present invention described above and performs the same function. Within the inner base (216) is a main spring (218) that provides power to the distributor (201).

[0132] Attached to the bottom of the inner base (216) is the upper end of the inflatable bellows (210), in Figure 17 The image shows a collapsed state, and... Figure 18 The diagram shows the inflated state. When the inner base (216) is forced upward, the bellows (210) is pulled upward and air enters the bellows (210) through the check valve (217).

[0133] The inner base (216) is forced upward by the rotatable collar (206), the cam ramp (215), and the ball cam follower (214), similar to that described in the first embodiment above. As in the first embodiment, the dispenser is filled and ready to drive when the cam followers (214) have rotated past the ends of their respective cam ramps (215).

[0134] Apart from the details described below, the center refill dispenser (201) is activated and operated in the same manner as the dispenser (1) of the first embodiment, the main difference being that the cam ramp (215) of the center refill dispenser (201) is inverted compared to the cam ramp of the first embodiment, causing the inner base (216) to be pulled upward as the collar (206) rotates. As in the first embodiment, this causes the bellows (210) to expand and prepares the dispenser (201) for actuation.

[0135] A rotatable collar (206) extends to the base (248) of the dispenser (201). Rotation of the collar (206) is actually a rotation of the entire lower part of the dispenser (201), including the collar (206) and the base (248) attached thereto.

[0136] As in the first embodiment, a plurality of vertical splines (221) are positioned around the inner surface of the housing (205), extending inward a short distance toward the central axis (A) of the dispenser. These splines (221) interact with spline followers (222) radially recessed in the inner base (216). The interaction between the splines (221) and the spline followers (222) prevents the inner base (216) from rotating relative to the housing (205).

[0137] Driven by pressing a trigger (223) on top of the spray dispenser (201). The operation of the trigger (223) and the spray generating mechanism is essentially the same as in the first embodiment described above. The minor difference lies in the air pressure flow from the bellows (210) when the trigger (206) is released. The air pressure is applied upward from the bellows (210) to the flexible air duct (230) and, as in the first embodiment, towards the central air passage (228) in the horizontal duct (224). In doing so, it is diverted via a T-joint (249), through which some of the air pressure from the bellows (230) is directed via the air-refill duct (235) towards the liquid in the refill unit (207). The air pressure from the air-refill duct (235) forces the liquid composition (LC) in the liquid chamber (208) of the refill unit (207) upward along the draw tube (232) and into the annular liquid passage (229), as in the first embodiment described above. The aerosol spray is generated in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

[0138] In other embodiments of the invention, the liquid in the liquid chamber (108) is directly pressurized by a manually activated element (350). Figures 20 to 25 The diagrams shown below illustrate these embodiments, illustrating only the interrelationships of the components.

[0139] Figure 20 An arrangement is shown in which air is drawn into an air chamber (309) via a first manually operated actuating element (351) attached to a piston (352). The air enters the air chamber (309) through an inlet check valve (353), and a compression spring (318A) surrounding the piston (352) is compressed. A second independent actuating element (354) attached to a second piston (355) draws liquid into a liquid chamber (308) via a liquid check valve (356), and a second compression spring (318L) surrounding the neck of the piston (355) is compressed. After this "filling" step, the pressure generated by the springs (318A, 318L) can be used to pressurize the air and liquid through outlet valves (357, 358) and towards a nozzle (not shown). Figure 20 In this context, the manual actuation elements (351, 354) are represented by pull rings; however, these elements (351, 354) represent any actuation element, particularly an actuation element that rotates by unidirectional torsion to (indirectly in this embodiment) generate pressure on the air in the air chamber (309). Furthermore, the liquid chamber manual actuation element (354) represents any manual actuation element that can be used with the pull-back piston (318), including an actuation element that rotates by unidirectional torsion to generate pressure on the liquid in the liquid chamber (308). The foregoing statements regarding the manual actuation elements (351, 354) also apply to similar features described in the following embodiments.

[0140] Figure 21 The representative embodiments are similar to Figure 20 In the illustrated embodiment, besides the concentric arrangement of the pistons (452, 455), the liquid piston (455) is located on the inner side. Figure 20 Similar to the previous embodiment, the liquid chamber (408) has an inlet valve (454) and an outlet valve (456), and the air chamber (409) has an inlet valve (453) and an outlet valve (455). When the dispenser (1) is actuated, a first spring (418L) forces liquid out of the liquid chamber (408), and a second (larger) spring (418A) forces air out of the air chamber (409). To refill the liquid chamber (408) and the air chamber (409), both the liquid piston (455) and the air piston (452) need to retract.

[0141] Figures 22 to 25Representative embodiments also include concentric pistons (552, 555) (with the liquid piston (555) located on the inner side) and valves (553, 556, 557, 558), with Figure 20 and Figure 21 The representative embodiment is the same. The advantage of this embodiment is that it requires a single manually activated element (551). Figure 22 This indicates that the distributor (501) is in the filling state and ready to be driven. The expansion of the compression spring (518) presses down on the main (air) piston (552), initially only causing compression of the air in the air chamber (509). This position is... Figure 23 As shown in the diagram. When sufficient air pressure is generated in the air chamber (509), the air outlet valve (557) opens and the released air is delivered to the nozzle (not shown). This position is... Figure 24 As shown in the diagram. When the main piston (552) is pressed down just beyond... Figure 24 In the indicated position, the transverse member (559) within the main piston (552) engages with the top of the internal liquid piston (555) and is pressed down, thereby forcing liquid out of the liquid chamber (508) through the liquid outlet valve (558). This position is... Figure 24 As shown in the diagram, air and liquid can be simultaneously delivered to the nozzle to generate a spray as air also leaves the air chamber (509).

[0142] In order to refill Figures 22 to 25 The spray dispenser (501) shown pulls upward on a single manual actuation element (551). This immediately pulls the air piston (552) upward and begins to draw air into the air chamber (509) via the air inlet valve (553). As the air piston (552) rises near the top of the liquid piston (555), the top of the piston head (560) of the air piston (552) interacts with a boss (561) extending laterally from the top of the liquid piston (555). This causes the liquid piston (555) to also rise and begin to draw liquid into the liquid chamber (508) via the liquid inlet valve (556). The rising of the air piston head (560) stops when the top of the air piston head (560) touches a stop (562) extending inward from the inner wall (563) of the dispenser (510). The stop (562) is positioned to stop the rise of the air piston (552) when the piston head (564) of the liquid piston (555) has reached the top of the liquid chamber (508) and the liquid chamber is filled with liquid.

Claims

1. A handheld spray dispenser (1) comprising a liquid chamber (8), an air chamber (9, 10), and a turbulence chamber (40), the turbulence chamber (40) including an inlet orifice (38) and an outlet orifice (4), thereby preventing liquid in the liquid chamber (8) and air in the air chambers (9, 10) from flowing toward the turbulence chamber (40) by one or more valves (33); when the one or more valves (33) are released, liquid is forced under pressure to flow from the liquid chamber (8) to the outlet orifice (40) via a liquid conduit (31) at a flow rate of 0.15 to 0.6 g / s. A turbulent cavity (40) is formed, and air is forced under pressure to flow from the air cavity (9, 10) to the turbulent cavity (40) via an air duct (30) at a flow rate of 0.4 to 3.0 L / min. The air is introduced into the liquid adjacent to but before entering the inlet hole (38) of the turbulent cavity (40), and the mixture enters the turbulent cavity (40) through the inlet hole (38) before being discharged through the outlet hole (4), wherein the inlet hole (38) and the outlet hole (4) of the turbulent cavity (40) are parallel and radially offset.

2. The spray dispenser (1) according to claim 1, wherein, The inlet hole (38) has a diameter equal to or greater than the diameter of the outlet hole (4) of the turbulent cavity (40).

3. The spray dispenser (1) according to any one of the preceding claims has a single inlet hole (38) leading to the turbulence chamber (40).

4. The spray dispenser (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The manual start element (6) is used to power one or more energy storage bodies (18) held in the distributor (1), which are used to pressurize the air in the air chamber (9, 10) and the liquid in the liquid chamber (8) toward the turbulence chamber (40).

5. The spray dispenser (1) according to claim 4, wherein, The manual start element (6) is activated by rotating about the long axis (A, B) of the spray dispenser (1).

6. The spray dispenser (1) according to claim 5, wherein, The manual start element (6) is a collar (6) which is positioned around the spray dispenser (1) in a plane orthogonal to the major axis (A, B) of the spray dispenser (1).

7. The spray dispenser (1) according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein, The manual start element (6) rotates clockwise or counterclockwise in only one direction, while simultaneously supplying energy to the one or more energy storage bodies (18).

8. The spray dispenser (1) according to any one of claims 4 to 7, wherein, One or more of the energy storage elements are springs (18).

9. The spray dispenser (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, Pressurized air from the air chambers (9, 10) is used to pressurize the liquid in the liquid chamber (8), thereby forcing the liquid to flow into the turbulence chamber (40).

10. The spray dispenser (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The liquid chamber (8) is part of the refill unit (7).

11. The spray dispenser (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The air is pressurized to 0.3 to 3 bar before being forced out of the air chamber (9, 10).

12. The spray dispenser (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The spray dispenser (1) is cylindrical.

13. The spray dispenser (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The start-up involves a spiral cam ramp (15), which forces the cam follower (14) to advance around the spiral cam ramp when the manual start element (6) rotates. This causes axial movement of the inner base (16), which in turn draws air into the air chambers (9, 10) and simultaneously powers the energy storage body (18).

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