GB2042630A

GB2042630A - Spray

Info

Publication number: GB2042630A
Application number: GB8001278A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: PFEIFFER ZERSTAEUBER
Current assignee: PFEIFFER ZERSTAEUBER
Priority date: 1979-01-16
Filing date: 1980-01-15
Publication date: 1980-09-24
Also published as: GB2042630B; FR2450640B3; ES247805U; IT8020465V0; ES247805Y; FR2450640A3

Abstract

A spray comprises a casing (11), an operating tube (21) which is axially movable in the casing (14) and which defines a liquid outlet channel, and an operating bead (23) located on the operating tube (21) for effecting axial movement thereof and provided with a spray nozzle (25). The operating head (23) and the casing (11) have co-operating, axially extending ribs and grooves arranged to prevent relative rotation between the operating head (23) and the casing (11) and to effect guidance of the operating head (23) during axial movement thereof. Some ribs and grooves may be arranged to prevent accidental operation of head (23). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A Spray, Particularly a Pump Spray The invention relates to a spray, particularly a pump spray, which comprises a casing, an operating tube which moves axially in the casing and contains an outlet channel for a liquid, and comprises an operating head located on the operating tube for its axial movement, which operating head contains a spray nozzle.

Sprays of this type are used both for cosmetic and medical purposes, for example as inhalers, as anti-reflection sprays in dentistry, and so forth. It is often necessary, particularly when the sprays are used for medical purposes, to remove the operating head from the casing of the spray in order to replace it, and, for example to exchange it for a new sterile head or to attach a head of a different shape or a head with another spray nozzle.

Up till now, the operating heads were attached to the operating tubes in such a manner that the tube had, to a great extent, to bear the forces which were produced by flexion or by transverse forces on the operating head. A cylindrical section on the casing was overlapped by a corresponding cyliridrical section of the operating head.

However, this did not produce a very effective guidance, particularly because, for spacial reasons, the overlap of two cylindrical components could not be very large. Further, clearances which were too narrow had to be avoided where there were large curves, in order to avoid the danger of jamming.

Since the operating head was only connected to the rest of the spray via the operating tube, which, in pump sprays, supports the plunger with a liquid and air equalizing sealing and rests on a coil spring, the operating head together with the plunger was inclined to turn slowly during operation in a direction determined by the sense of the coil spring. In some areas of use, this action is undesirable.

The object of the invention is to produce a spray which does not have the previously described disadvantages, which produces a reliable and safe cohesion between the spray head and the rest- of the spray, without a substantial increased cost, and without preventing the operating heads from being above to be removed and replaced.

According to the invention, there is provided a spray comprising a casing, an operating tube which is axially movable in the casing and which defines a liquid outlet channel, and an operating head lodated on the operating tube for effecting axial movement thereof and provided with a spray nozzle, wherein the operating head and the casing have co-operating, axially extending ribs and grooves arranged to prevent relative rotation between the operating head and the casing and to effect guidance of the operating head during axial movement thereof.

The operating head is thus simultaneously prevented from twisting and guided more efficiently in an axial direction. The tilting tendency of the operating head and the corresponding strains on the operating tube, and thereby, in the case of a spray plunger pump, the strains on the sensitive sealings, are decreased. In spite of the more precise guidance, it has been found that there is no risk of jamming because of distortion in production or operation or where the plastics swell under the effect of the sprayed media. Another advantage arises from the fact that the sprays of the present invention can be screwed mechanically onto containers, the machine gripping grip the spray head hear its end and also carries the spray nozzle. In this manner the spray can be screwed onto a container once it has been suitably assembled.Where there are turning strains, the thin plunger tube is not subjected to any stress, and can thus be inserted in the operating head in a well sealed seat. It has also been established that leakages no longer occur through altering the sealed seat by an operating-induced rotation of the plunger in the cylinder. The invention also make it possible, for example for medical purposes, to use operating heads comprising operating heads which are bent at right angles that is to say operating heads, which are not positioned in a rotationally symmetrical manner to the spray, and to position these exactly. This is also important when sprays are installed in devices in a fixed manner, as for example in hair drying gadgets.

According to a preferred embodiment, the ribs and grooves can be provided on the exterior of a substantially cylindrical section of the casing and on an interior surface of the operating head. It is particularly preferred to provide the ribs and grooves in a section of the operating head which has a larger diameter than a section which supports the spray nozzle, the two sections being connected together. The first mentioned section has a projecting operating surface. This makes it possible simultaneously to provided the ribs and grooves over a relatively large diameter and provides a good supporting surface for the hand of an operator or an operating mechanism.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 shows a longitudinal section of an embodiment of a pump spray according to the invention.

Figure 2 shows a cross-section along the line Il-Il in Figure 1.

The pump spray shown in the drawing is based on one which is described in detail in German Offenlegungsschrift Nos. 1,943,583 and 1,966,588, to which attention is directed for further details and which are incorporated herein by reference. A cap 11 which can be screwed onto a container (not shown) is formed in one piece with a sealing case 1 2 which projects into a pump cylinder 14 with a lining shoulder 13. At the lower end of the pump cylinder is located a suction valve 15, which communicates with a suction pipe which projects into the container. A compression spring 16 presses on a valve body 1 7 which, together with a plunger packing 18, forms a liquid outlet valve. This liquid outlet valve is maintained under pretension by means of a resilient neck 1 9 which is integral with the plunger packing 18.A valve carrier rod 20 is connected to the valve body 1 7 and has a channel therein for liquid which communicates via cross bores with the liquid outlet valve 1 7, 1 8. The hollow valve carrier rod is clamped firmly in the top part of the neck which is formed integrally with the plunger packing, above the section of the neck which can drift as a result of jolting. The section consisting of a relatively elastic material, above the neck 19, forms the operating tube 21 which is pressed firmly into a bore 22 of an operating head 23 in a liquid-tight manner, but so that it can be removed.

The operating head comprises an extended finger-like section 24, on the end of which is located a spray nozzle 25, and a section 26 which has a larger diameter and is in the form of a hood. The section 26 surface of which can be pressed downwardly by a user to operate the pump spray. While the extended section 24 can vary in its shape according to requirements and can range from a simple short cylindrical spray head to a longer probe-like form, or even a section extending through a right-angle, the shape of section 26 remains substantially unchanged. The section 26 is arranged so that when the operating head is attached and is in its operating position the section 26 overlaps a substantially cylindrical section 28 of the casing 11.As can be seen particularly from Figure 2, an alternating sequence of grooves 30 and ribs 29 is provided on the interior face of section 26 and on the exterior of section 28, and these grooves and ribs co-operate with each other. Here, the ribs have a ratio of width to height of approximately 2:1 or less and are siightly wider than the corresponding grooves so that relative sliding movement between the sections 26 and 28 is easy but is guided with relatively little play. Numerous ribs and grooves are provided around the perimeter, for example twelve of each.

It should be noted that during operation when the operating surface above the flange 27 is pressed, the ribs 29 in one section co-operate with the grooves 30 in the other section, and they guide the operating head in a manner which prevents it twisting relative to the casing.

However, the operating head can be easily replaced by simply pulling off from the operating tube 21. It should be noted that when the pump is not operating, the conical step on the top of the seal packing 1 8 is pressed against the seal shoulder 1 3 under the pressure of the spring 1 6 and this, under certain circumstances, particularly when this pressure is maintained for a long time at a higher temperature, leaves a channel behind.

This does not matter with the present spray, because the plunger is in the same rotational position after each operation as it was before, as a result of the action of the ribs and grooves, and thus sealing again occurs in exactly the same place.

For certain uses, it can be advantageous that to prevent the spray performing unrequired operations. Also, it is often advantageous if the operation is only possible when the operating head is in a predetermined position. Both these advantages are achieved by a feature which is shown by a dashed line Fig. 2. One or more of the ribs, rib 31, is of slightly greater radial extent than the other ribs 29 and thus prevents operation when it co-operates with a groove of normal depth. However, when the operating head is turned into a position wherein the rib 31 cooperates with a corresponding deeper groove 33, then an operation is possible. While in this embodiment, the operation is only possible in a very definite position, it will be advisable in many cases to form the spray such that for example, the operation position takes up half the perimeter and the blocking position takes up the other half of the perimeter. In this case, half of the grooves could be deeper and the other half could be of normal depth and/or half of the ribs could be high and the other half low. The same function can be achieved by means of broader and narrower grooves and/or ribs or other blocking elements.

It is advisable not to let the grooves and ribs slot into each other while they are not operating so that the operating head can rotate freely and to provide the operating head and the spray cap with corresponding markings for the operating or blocking positions.

Claims

1. A spray comprising a casing, an operating tube which is axially movable in the casing and which defines a liquid outlet channel, and an operating head located on the operating tube for effecting axial movement thereof and provided with a spray nozzle, wherein the operating head and the casing have co-operating axially extending ribs and grooves arranged to prevent relative rotation between the operation head and the casing and to effect guidance of the operating head during axial movement thereof.

2. A spray according to Claim 1, wherein the casing has a substantially cylindrical section, and the ribs and grooves are provided on the said substantially cylindrical section and on an interior surface of the operating head.

3. A spray according to Claim 1, wherein the operating head comprises a first section provided with the said ribs and grooves and having a projecting operating surface, and a second section connected to the first section and supporting the spray nozzle, the said first section having a larger diameter than the said second section.

4. A spray according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the ribs and grooves are not uniform in a design over the perimeter of the operating head and casing, whereby the operating head is not in an operating position in all relative computer orientations between the operating head and casing.

5. A spray substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.