Sprayer actuator, sprayer, and method of making the same

Abstract

A sprayer actuator, a sprayer, and a method of making the same are disclosed. In one embodiment, the sprayer includes an ergonomic sprayer actuator with a housing having an upper portion, a lower portion for fitting over a can, and a narrowed waist portion between the upper portion and the lower portion.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An ergonomic sprayer actuator comprising a housing having an upper portion, a lower portion for fitting on a container, and a narrowed waist portion between said upper portion and said lower portion.  
     
     
         2 . The ergonomic sprayer actuator of  claim 1  wherein said actuator housing is configured so that a user can wrap at least their thumb and forefinger around the narrowed waist portion, and when viewed from above, at least a part of the upper portion extends outward beyond the portion of the user's thumb and forefinger that are in contact with the narrowed waist portion.  
     
     
         3 . The ergonomic sprayer actuator of  claim 2  wherein said actuator housing has a front, a rear, and sides, and the part of the upper portion that extends outward beyond the portion of the user's thumb and forefinger that are in contact with the narrowed waist portion is at least on the sides and rear of the housing.  
     
     
         4 . The ergonomic sprayer actuator of  claim 3  wherein the part of the upper portion that extends outward beyond the portion of the user's thumb and forefinger that are in contact with the narrowed waist portion also includes a portion at the front of the housing.  
     
     
         5 . The ergonomic sprayer actuator of  claim 1  wherein said upper portion is configured so that it rests on a portion of a user's thumb and forefinger to at least partially support the weight of the sprayer during use.  
     
     
         6 . The ergonomic sprayer actuator of  claim 1  wherein said upper portion has a front, a back, and an underside, and said upper portion is tilted so that the underside of said upper portion is higher in front than in the back.  
     
     
         7 . The ergonomic sprayer actuator of  claim 1  further comprising a nozzle at the front of said sprayer housing, wherein said nozzle is oriented so that liquid sprayed from said nozzle will be directed at an angle of greater than 0° and less than 90°.  
     
     
         8 . The ergonomic sprayer actuator of  claim 1  further comprising a nozzle at the front of said sprayer housing, wherein said nozzle is oriented so that liquid sprayed from said nozzle will be directed at a downward angle of less than 0° and greater than −90°.  
     
     
         9 . The ergonomic sprayer actuator of  claim 1  further comprising a trigger operatively associated with said sprayer housing at the front of said sprayer.  
     
     
         10 . The ergonomic sprayer actuator of  claim 9  wherein said trigger has a length that is sufficient to allow said trigger to be activated with two fingers.  
     
     
         11 . The ergonomic sprayer actuator of  claim 10  wherein the length of said trigger is greater than or equal to about 30 mm.  
     
     
         12 . The ergonomic sprayer actuator of  claim 9  wherein the trigger has a width, and the width of said trigger is greater than or equal to about 15 mm.  
     
     
         13 . A sprayer comprising a non-pressurized container having a top and the ergonomic sprayer actuator of  claim 1  which is joined to the top of the container.  
     
     
         14 . A sprayer comprising a pressurized container having a top and the ergonomic sprayer actuator of  claim 1  which is joined to the top of the container.  
     
     
         15 . The sprayer of  claim 14  wherein said pressurized container comprises a propellant, and at least a portion of said propellant comprises a compressed gas.  
     
     
         16 . The sprayer of  claim 15  wherein said compressed gas comprises one or more of the following: compressed air, nitrogen, one or more inert gases, and carbon dioxide.  
     
     
         17 . The sprayer of  claim 15  which is configured to provide a spray in the air in the form of a plurality of spray droplets, and at least some of the spray droplets have a diameter in a range of from about 0.01 μm to about 500 μm.  
     
     
         18 . The sprayer of  claim 15  which is configured to provide a spray in the air in the form of a plurality of spray droplets, and at least some of the spray droplets have a diameter in a range of from about 5 μm to about 400 μm.  
     
     
         19 . The sprayer of  claim 15  which is configured to provide a spray in the air in the form of a plurality of spray droplets, and at least some of the spray droplets have a diameter in a range of from about 10 μm to about 200 μm.  
     
     
         20 . The sprayer of  claim 17  wherein at least some of the spray droplets have a mean diameter by volume of between about 10-100 μm.  
     
     
         21 . The sprayer of  claim 17  wherein at least some of the spray droplets have a mean diameter by volume of between about 20-60 μm.  
     
     
         22 . A sprayer actuator for fitting on a pressurized container having a valve stem, said sprayer actuator having a front, said sprayer actuator comprising: 
 a housing;    a trigger operatively associated with said housing at the front of said sprayer actuator; and    a conduit having a first end and a second end, wherein said first end of said conduit is configured to be positioned over the valve stem of a pressurized container, and the second end of said conduit has a nozzle operatively associated therewith, wherein said conduit is configured to provide fluid communication between a pressurized container and said nozzle.    
     
     
         23 . The sprayer actuator of  claim 22  wherein said conduit comprises two rectilinear segments that form an angle there between.  
     
     
         24 . The sprayer actuator of  claim 23  wherein said two rectilinear segments comprise a first segment that comprises the first end of the conduit, wherein said first segment is disposed in a substantially vertical orientation when the first end of the conduit is positioned over the valve stem of a pressurized container, and a second segment that forms an angle with said first segment of greater than about 90° and less than about 180°.  
     
     
         25 . The sprayer actuator of  claim 22  wherein said conduit is curved.  
     
     
         26 . The sprayer actuator of  claim 22  wherein at least a portion of said conduit is flexible.  
     
     
         27 . The sprayer actuator of  claim 24  wherein the second segment is flexible.  
     
     
         28 . The sprayer actuator of  claim 22  wherein said conduit further comprises a bearing platform.  
     
     
         29 . The sprayer actuator of  claim 22  wherein said nozzle held in a fixed position when said trigger is activated.  
     
     
         30 . The sprayer actuator of  claim 22  wherein said nozzle is moveable when said trigger is activated.  
     
     
         31 . A sprayer comprising: 
 a container having a valve stem; and    an actuator on said container actuator comprising a housing, said housing comprising an actuating member at least indirectly in mechanical contact with said valve stem, having a trigger that is integrally formed with at least a portion of said housing and operatively associated with said sprayer housing at the front of said sprayer actuator.    
     
     
         32 . A method of making a sprayer actuator comprising: 
 providing a side portion for a housing of a sprayer actuator, said side portion having a top that is at least partially open, a bottom that is at least partially open, and a front with an opening therein for a trigger;    providing a trigger piece;    providing a conduit;    providing a cap for said sprayer housing;    inserting said trigger piece into said side portion of said housing so that at least a portion of said trigger piece extends outward through the opening in the front of said side portion of said housing to form a trigger;    inserting said conduit into said side portion of said housing so that it is operatively associated with said trigger; and    placing said cap on top of said side portion of said housing to form said sprayer actuator.