Trigger sprayer

In a trigger sprayer for generating a spray of liquid from a container having a liquid therein, including:

• a housing having a tubular piston including means defining an inlet passageway disposed therein,
• means for coupling a dip tube to said housing in liquid flow communication with said inlet passageway,
• means on said housing for coupling a container in an air-tight manner to said housing with the dip tube extending into the container,
• vent means, located in said housing, for providing an air vent to the interior of the container,
• a tubular actuator member slidably received over said tubular piston, having an elongated trigger extending rigidly therefrom and having a closed outer end with an outlet passageway therein, said tubular actuator member with said tubular piston defining a chamber therein communicating with said first inlet and outlet passageway,
• inlet valve means, located against said inlet passageway member over said inlet passageway and in said chamber for preventing air and liquid from flowing into said inlet passageway from said chamber but allowing liquid to flow from said inlet passageway to said chamber,
• outlet valve means, coupled to said tubular actuator member in said chamber between said inlet valve means and said outlet passage, for preventing air from entering said chamber via said outlet passage when said tubular member is moved away from said housing but allowing liquid in said chamber to be expelled from said chamber via said outlet passage when said tubular actuator member is moved towards said housing, and means for biasing said tubular member away from said housing;
• the improvement comprising seal means for sealing said inlet passageway during shipping and storage prior to use while the tubular actuator is normally biased in an extended position with respect to the tubular piston, and unsealing means for disabling said sealing means to provide for fluid flow through the inlet passageway upon manual actuation of the sprayer to slide said tubular actuator member toward said tubular piston.

A trigger sprayer for generating a spray of liquid from a container having a liquid therein, the combination comprising:

• a single-piece molded plastic housing including
• an open ended tubular piston with an inlet passageway therein,
• means for coupling a dip tube to said housing in liquid flow communication with said inlet passageway,
• means for coupling a container in an air-tight manner to said housing with the dip tube extending into the container, and
• vent means for providing an air vent to the interior of the container;
• a single-piece molded plastic actuator member including
• an elongated trigger extending therefrom, a closed outer end with a spray orifice therein, and an annular wall around the orifice defining a socket, said tubular actuator member slidably received over said tubular piston,
• said tubular actuator member defining a pump chamber therein communicating with said inlet passage in said piston and said spray orifice in said tubular actuator member;
• a combined outlet valve and inlet valve seat member comprising
• a rod member having a first end disposed in said socket, said rod extending into the pump chamber, and having a resilient frustoconical skirt on said rod engaging said tubular actuator member,
• an inlet valve formed of resilient material and including
• an annular member having a first portion disposed on said tubular piston, and a second portion extending beyond the end of the tubular portion and terminating in a valve portion seated slidably on the rod, and
• spring means, engaging said housing and tubular member, for biasing said tubular member away from said housing wherein said spray orifice in said tubular member is spaced from said piston.