Spray cap with integral spring

Abstract

A top for a manual spray pump is provided with a cap or nozzle assembly having a spring molded integrally with the cap or nozzle assembly, thereby eliminating the separate manufacturing step of inserting a spring.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority from U.S. provisional application 60/835,605, filed Aug. 4, 2006, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to finger-operated spray pump caps and the manufacture of the same, and to a molding method useful for making such caps.

Finger-operated spray pumps are widely used. The contents being sprayed can be pressurized or non-pressurized. Pressurized containers typically have a release valve that is depressed into the container to release the contents, and non-pressurized containers typically have a self-priming pump mechanism. In both cases, there is an assembly on top of the container having a finger-actuated mechanism for releasing the contents of the pressurized container or pumping the contents of a non-pressurized container. The assembly often includes a nozzle to direct the effluent contents, and the nozzle is chosen often to achieve a desired atomized droplet size. Such devices find use in pumping or spraying everything from water, perfumes, and other liquids, to medicaments and other solutions, emulsions, and suspensions, to cooking oils and other non-aqueous liquid media, to paint, hairspray, and other viscous or pasty materials.

Especially in the area of cosmetics and perfumery packaging, a container is provided pre-filled to an operation wherein the top assembly is attached. The top assembly is often a standard part supplied to the assembler that must be attached to a container designated by the customer. Because the top assembly is standard, it is typical practice to provide the cap, which the user presses to release or pump the container contents, and the nozzle assembly, as separate parts with a spring between the two, the combination of cap and nozzle assembly being disposed within a housing. The spring allows the nozzle assembly to sit at slightly different heights from a release valve or pump assembly attached to the container, depending on the particular container. Because the container is designated by the customer, a standard top assembly may not always locate the spray nozzle optimally. The spring between the nozzle assembly and the cap corrects for minor differences between the cap and the nozzle assembly when mounted on the container.

One disadvantage to this arrangement is that a separate spring part must be inserted between the nozzle assembly and the cap. A separate spring part is needed, and the spring must be manually inserted into the cap bottom, and then the nozzle assembly fit into the cap while retaining the spring. Still further, the nozzle assembly must be secured to keep this sub-assembly integral. Accordingly, there are manual labor steps with small parts, and the sub-assembly must be engineered to be integral once assembled, so if the spring is positioned incorrectly, the sub-assembly is defective.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In light of the foregoing, an object of this invention is to provide a spring integral with the cap, thereby avoiding the separate assembly of a spring between the cap and the nozzle assembly, and so reducing the number of parts and the assembly time.

Another object of this invention is to provide a mold and method of molding providing for a spring to be integrally molded into the cap.

In summary, this invention provides a pump spray cap having a spring molded unitary with the cap. This invention also provides a pump spray device including a container have a dispensable liquid, a nozzle assembly, and a pump spray cap having a spring molded therewith.

This invention also provides a molding and a method of molding an article having a surface from which a cantilever is molded integral with a surface of the article.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the top assembly.

FIG. 2 is a cross section taken along line 2-2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 depicts a perspective view of the top assembly including an outer housing 101 having an open top through which is accessed the cap 103. A nozzle 105 projects though an opening 107 of the inner housing and through an opening 109 of the outer housing. The top flange 111 of the outer housing includes a concavity 113 allowing easy user access to a depression 115 in the top surface of the cap.

As seen in FIG. 2, the outer housing (shown in phantom) contains an inner housing 201 having an outer wall 203 defining a bottom chamber 205 for accepting the top of a container with a dispensable liquid (not shown). The container top typically has a stem duct that is functionally connected to a self-priming pump for a non-pressurized container or a release valve for a pressurized container. Inwardly projecting from the outer wall is a inner wall 207 having a geometry to match the top of the container, which is typically round (e.g., cylindrical). The inner wall acts as a support for the cap. The cap is sized appropriately to size on the inner wall in close tolerance with the outer wall so as maintain the functional orientation shown.

Disposed within the cap is a nozzle housing 209 including a nozzle (not shown in FIG. 2) that protrudes through an orifice 211 in the nozzle housing and through the aforementioned openings in the inner and outer housings. The nozzle housing includes a column 213 with a column opening 215 for accepting and retaining the conduit or stem of the container effective to provide fluid communication between the stem and the nozzle. Typically the tolerance between the stem and the column opening provides a friction fit. The cap thus overlies the nozzle housing, allowing a user to press on the cap, and thereby also the nozzle housing, thereby opening the release valve for a pressurized container or a pump cycle to expel the liquid for a non-pressurized container.

Molded into the cap are two leaf springs 217a and 217b allowing the nozzle housing to “float” axially within the cap (“axial” being in the direction towards and away from the container along the stem); because there is no fixed connection between the cap and the nozzle housing, the nozzle housing can also move transversely if needed to accommodate the placement of the stem of the container. Alternatively, the leaf spring can be molded into the top of the nozzle housing. Molding the leaf springs into both the cap and the nozzle housing is possible, but will be likely to cause interference during assembly.

The inner housing, cap, and nozzle housing are preferably made of plastic (polymer or resin), and may be the same or different types of plastic. The outer housing is preferably also made of plastic, but can be made of metal, wood, ceramic, or any decorative material.

The inner and outer housings can be provided with means to connect to each other, such as a coupling, friction fit, force fit, or adhesive, and either separately or as a connected unitary structure are connected to the container or to the packaging (housing) for the container. It is preferred that the top be assembled as a unit which can then be attached to the container directly. Thus, it is possible to ship from one assembler complete top units that the can taken by another assembly company and placed onto the containers.

Claims

1. A top assembly for a container having a pumpable or sprayable liquid released through a conduit by pressure or a pump actuated by pressing on said conduit, comprising: a nozzle housing containing a nozzle and means for engaging the conduit effective to provide fluid communication between the conduit and the nozzle; and a cap accessible to a user of the container and overlying the nozzle housing, the cap being injection molded and molded integrally therewith at least one spring engaging the nozzle housing biasing the nozzle housing away from the cap.

2. The top assembly of claim 1, wherein the spring is a leaf spring and the cap is molded with two leaf springs.

3. A top assembly for a container having a pumpable or sprayable liquid released through a conduit by pressure or a pump actuated by pressing on said conduit, comprising: a nozzle housing containing a nozzle and means for engaging the conduit effective to provide fluid communication between the conduit and the nozzle; and a cap accessible to a user of the container and overlying the nozzle housing, the nozzle housing being injection molded and molded integrally therewith at least one spring engaging the cap and biasing the nozzle housing away from the cap.

4. The top assembly of claim 3, wherein the spring is a leaf spring and the nozzle assembly is molded with two leaf springs.