Wet/dry hose end sprayer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11213841-B2
Application number	US-201916555560-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 29, 2019
Priority date	Aug 29, 2019
Publication date	Jan 4, 2022
Grant date	Jan 4, 2022

Abstract

A hose end sprayer includes a concentrate tank and a sprayer head. The sprayer head has an inlet end, an outlet end and a flow tube, along with a suction tube and a valve. When the sprayer head is closed, neither the first nor the second flow orifice communicates with the flow opening and the concentrate opening is closed by the valve body. When the sprayer head is in wet mode, the vent opening communicates with the concentrate opening as concentrate is drawn into the flow tube. When the sprayer head is in dry mode, the concentrate orifice communicates with the concentrate opening to direct a portion of the fluid into the concentrate tank. A metering plate injects a selectively adjustable amount of concentrate into the fluid stream. The sprayer head may further include a concentrate basket to hold a dry product within the concentrate tank.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A hose end sprayer apparatus comprising:
a) a concentrate tank having a bottom wall and a sidewall defining an open top edge, the bottom wall, sidewall and open top edge defining an open interior configured to hold a concentrate therein;
b) a sprayer head including a cap sidewall configured to removably mount said sprayer head onto said concentrate tank, said sprayer head comprising:
i) an inlet end configured to receive a fluid stream;
ii) an outlet end configured to discharge the fluid stream;
iii) a flow tube located between said inlet end and said outlet end and defining an injection orifice therein, wherein said injection orifice is coaxially located along a longitudinal axis of said cap sidewall;
iv) a suction tube coupled to said injection orifice of said flow tube at a first end, and having a second end located within said open interior of said concentrate tank and above said bottom wall; and
v) a valve assembly located between said inlet end and said flow tube, said valve assembly comprising:
a) a valve housing defining an inlet opening in communication with said inlet end, a flow opening in communication with said flow tube, and a concentrate opening in communication with said open interior of said concentrate tank, and
b) a valve body selectively movable within said valve housing, wherein said valve body defines an inlet orifice in communication with said inlet opening, first and second flow orifices selectively positionable to communicate with said flow opening, a concentrate orifice selectively positionable to communicate with said concentrate opening, and a vent opening selectively positionable to communicate with said concentrate opening,

wherein when said sprayer head is in a closed orientation, said valve body is moved whereby neither said first flow orifice nor said second flow orifice communicates with said flow opening and wherein said concentrate opening is closed by said valve body,
wherein when said sprayer head is in a wet mode orientation, said valve body is moved whereby said first flow orifice communicates with said flow opening and wherein said vent opening communicates with said concentrate opening to draw concentrate from said concentrate tank into said flow tube, and
wherein when said sprayer head is in a dry mode orientation, said valve body is moved whereby said second flow orifice communicates with said flow opening and wherein said concentrate orifice communicates with said concentrate opening and is configured to direct a diverted portion of the fluid stream into said concentrate tank.

2. The hose end sprayer apparatus of claim 1 wherein said valve assembly further includes a knob coupled to a shaft on said valve body for selectively rotating said valve body within said valve housing.

3. The hose end sprayer apparatus of claim 1 wherein said sprayer head further includes an anti-siphon assembly proximate to said inlet end.

4. The hose end sprayer apparatus of claim 1 wherein said outlet end includes a rotatable nozzle.

5. The hose end sprayer apparatus of claim 1 wherein said flow tube includes a venturi constriction wherein said injection orifice is located at or downstream said venturi constriction.

6. The hose end sprayer apparatus of claim 1 wherein said sprayer head further includes a metering plate located between said first end of said suction tube and said injection orifice of said flow tube, wherein said metering plate defines a first annular series of spaced-apart flow-metering holes, wherein successive respective flow-metering holes have an increasing hole diameter, wherein said metering plate is adapted to rotate to align a selected flow-metering hole of said annular series of spaced-apart flow-metering holes in fluid communication with said first end of said suction tube and said injection orifice of said flow tube to thereby inject a selectively adjustable amount of concentrate from said concentrate tank into the fluid stream.

7. The hose end sprayer apparatus of claim 6 wherein said metering plate further defines a second annular series of spaced-apart stop recesses, wherein each respective stop recess within said second annular series radially aligns with a respective flow-metering hole of said first annular series, wherein a single respective stop recess receives a detent when said selected flow-metering hole is aligned with said first end of said suction tube and said injection orifice of said flow tube.

8. The hose end sprayer apparatus of claim 6 wherein said sprayer head further includes a dilution selector wheel coupled to said metering plate, wherein actuation of said dilution selector wheel rotates said metering plate.

9. The hose end sprayer apparatus of claim 8 wherein said dilution selector wheel includes a series of indicia to signal said selected flow-metering hole to a user of said hose end sprayer apparatus.

10. The hose end sprayer apparatus of claim 6 wherein said sprayer head further includes a cap portion having a first end including said cap sidewall configured to releasably mount said cap portion of said sprayer head to said open top edge of said concentrate tank, and a second end having a first planar portion located between said first end of said suction tube and said metering plate.

11. The hose end sprayer apparatus of claim 10 wherein said first planar portion is configured to receive a first seal located between a top face of said first planar portion and said selected flow-metering hole on said metering plate, and wherein said first planar portion includes a diaphragm configured to deflect when said sprayer head is in said dry mode orientation to apply a force to said first seal to improve sealing between said cap portion and said metering plate.

12. The hose end sprayer apparatus of claim 7 wherein said sprayer head further includes a cap portion having a first end including said cap sidewall configured to releasably mount said cap portion of said sprayer head to said open top edge of said concentrate tank, and a second end having a first planar portion located between said first end of said suction tube and said metering plate.

13. The hose end sprayer apparatus of claim 12 wherein said second end of said cap portion includes a second planar portion, wherein said second planar portion defines a detent receiving well configured to slidably receive said detent therein.

14. The hose end sprayer apparatus of claim 1 wherein said sprayer head further includes a concentrate basket configured to hold a dry product, the basket including:
i) a top collar configured to mount to said open top edge of said concentrate tank;
ii) inner and outer basket sidewalls coaxially aligned along the longitudinal axis of the basket and extending into said open interior of said concentrate tank, wherein said inner basket sidewall has an internal diameter defining a channel larger than an outer diameter of said suction tube, and wherein said outer basket sidewall has an external diameter smaller than an internal diameter of said concentrate tank sidewall; and
iii) a basket bottom extending between bottom edges of said inner and outer basket sidewalls, wherein said suction tube is configured to pass through said channel with said second end of said suction tube extending outwardly of said basket bottom,
wherein, when said sprayer head is in said dry mode orientation, said concentrate opening is configured to direct said diverted portion of said fluid stream into said basket to dissolve said dry product,
wherein one or both of said outer basket sidewall and said basket bottom define a plurality of openings whereby dissolved product passes out o

Assignees

• Chapin Mfg Inc

Inventors

• Dubiel David J
• Fontaine James R
• Maclean-Blevins Mark T

Classifications

• B05B7/2443

  the carried liquid and the main stream of carrying liquid being brought together downstream of the container before discharge (B05B7/2454 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B05B7/30 Primary

  the first liquid or other fluent material being fed by gravity, or sucked into the carrying fluid · CPC title

• B05B1/1654

  about an axis parallel to the liquid passage in the stationary valve element · CPC title

• B05B7/2445 Primary

  and a secondary stream of carrying liquid being brought together in the container or putting the carried liquid under pressure in the container · CPC title

• B05B7/2462

  using a carrying liquid flowing through the container for dissolving a block of solid material · CPC title