Hose-end sprayer assembly

#This invention relates generally to a sprayer assembly adapted to be connected to a source of pressurized carrier liquid, and is adapted to be mounted to a container of chemical liquid to be siphoned into the stream of carrier liquid in a valve open position.

#There are a variety of sprayer assemblies arranged to be mounted on a container of liquid chemical and coupled to the end of a hose for drawing an amount of the liquid chemical into the water path through a venturi effect or by the provision of an air gap. A rotatable valve, manually operable, is designed to turn the sprayer on as the carrier liquid inlet and the product inlet are connected, to turn the sprayer off by disconnecting the product inlet and carrier liquid inlet, and to provide for rinsing in which the carrier liquid passage is connected to discharge.

#It is important to vent the container to atmosphere in the ON position of the sprayer while chemical liquid product is being drawn into the liquid carrier stream.

#FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the sprayer assembly according to the invention, the rotary valve and the vent control not being shown for the sake of clarity;

#FIG. 2 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of the vent control member which is part of the sprayer assembly according to the invention;

#FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1, with the vent control member mounted in place on the housing of the assembly;

#Turning now to the drawings wherein like reference characters refer to like and corresponding parts throughout the several views, the sprayer assembly according to the invention is generally designated 10 in FIGS. 1, 3, 5 and 6, although in FIGS. 1 and 3, rotary valve 11 (FIGS. 5, 6) is not shown for the sake of clarity, and vent control member 12 (FIG. 2) is not shown for the sake of clarity in FIG. 1.

#The sprayer assembly includes a housing 13 similar to that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,378,785, commonly owned herewith, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference. The housing includes a conduit 14 having an anti-siphon assembly 15 at its free end which includes a closure 16 for mounting assembly 10 to the end of a garden hose (not shown) or the like. The housing further includes an end collar 17 engageable by an annular lip 18 on container closure 19 for supporting the sprayer assembly on neck 21 of a container (not otherwise shown).

#The sprayer housing further includes a transverse bore 22 (FIG. 4) which may or may not have a back wall 23. And, the housing may have an arcuate shaped wall 24 containing indicia such as ON and OFF as shown to assist the user in determining the ON and OFF positions of the valve as will be further explained hereinafter.