Pressurized tank sprayer having lid seal

Abstract

A pressurized tank sprayer includes a base tank including a neck and a mouth. A lid having a top portion and a depending skirt is positioned upon the tank. Threads are provided on the neck of the tank and engage threads on the depending skirt of the lid in order to secure the lid to the tank. The threads include locking features that prevent the lid from becoming forcibly detached from the tank during removal of the lid if excess pressure remains in the tank. An annular seal is seated in the lid and provides a seal between the tank and the lid. The annular seal includes an annular sealing surface and a concave interior surface. The annular sealing surface contacts the interior surface of the tank while the concave interior surface is exposed to the interior of the tank.

1 . A tank sprayer comprising: 
 a. a tank having an interior and an exterior with a mouth providing communication between the interior and the exterior of the tank, the tank further including a neck portion defining the mouth;    b. a removable lid designed and dimensioned to cover the mouth of the tank, the removable lid including a skirt having an interior surface; and    c. a seal including an annular sealing surface retained by the lid, the seal arranged and disposed upon the lid such that an annular channel is formed between the annular sealing surface of the seal and the interior surface of the skirt; wherein the neck portion of the tank is positioned in the annular channel when the when the removable lid is secured upon the tank.    
   
   
       2 . The tank sprayer of  claim 1  wherein the neck portion includes an exterior surface and an interior surface, the exterior surface of the neck portion contacting the interior surface of the skirt and the interior surface of the neck portion contacting the annular sealing surface when the removable lid is positioned upon the tank.  
   
   
       3 . The tank sprayer of  claim 1  wherein the seal includes a collar and the lid includes a seal seat, with the collar of the seal retained by the seal seat.  
   
   
       4 . The tank sprayer of  claim 3  wherein the seal seat includes annular groove for receiving the collar of the seal and a transverse support surface for receiving the annular sealing surface.  
   
   
       5 . The tank sprayer of  claim 4  wherein the transverse support surface is concave and the annular sealing surface is convex.  
   
   
       6 . The tank sprayer of  claim 1  wherein the seal includes a concave interior surface.  
   
   
       7 . The tank sprayer of  claim 6  wherein the concave interior surface is exposed to the interior of the tank when the lid is secured upon the tank.  
   
   
       8 . The tank sprayer of  claim 1  wherein the exterior surface of the neck portion includes a first plurality of threads and the interior surface of the skirt includes a second plurality of threads, and wherein the first plurality of threads are operable to move in rotatable engagement relative to the second plurality of threads and rotatable disengagement relative to the second plurality of threads.  
   
   
       9 . The tank sprayer of  claim 8  wherein the first plurality of threads and the second plurality of threads include means for permitting an axial shift of the first plurality of threads relative to the second plurality of threads in response to an increased pressure within the tank during rotatable disengagement of the first plurality of threads relative to the second plurality of threads, said axial shift permitting said increased pressure to be released from the tank without disengagement of the first plurality of threads from the second plurality of threads.  
   
   
       10 . A tank sprayer comprising 
 a. a tank including a top rim defining a mouth providing communication between a tank interior and a tank exterior;    b. a removable lid designed and dimensioned to cover the mouth of the tank, the lid including a tank seat designed and dimensioned to receive the top rim of the tank;    c. a seal positioned in contact with the lid, the seal including an interior concave surface and an exterior surface, wherein the tank contacts the exterior surface of the seal when the top rim is received by the tank seat in the lid.    
   
   
       11 . The tank sprayer of  claim 10  wherein the seal includes an annular opening to the interior concave surface, and the annular opening is open toward the tank interior when the top rim of the tank is received by the tank seat in the lid.  
   
   
       12 . The tank sprayer of  claim 10  wherein the exterior surface of the seal is convex.  
   
   
       13 . The tank sprayer of  claim 10  wherein the exterior surface of the seal contacts the tank interior when the top rim of the tank is received by the tank seat in the lid.  
   
   
       14 . The tank sprayer of  claim 10  wherein the lid further includes a skirt having an interior surface and the tank seat is defined at least in part by the exterior surface of the seal and the interior surface of the skirt.  
   
   
       15 . The tank sprayer of  claim 10  wherein a first plurality of threads are formed upon the tank exterior, each of the first plurality of threads including a mouth side and a bottom side with a first plurality of grooves formed between each adjacent mouth side and bottom side, each of the first plurality of threads including a starting portion and an ending portion.  
   
   
       16 . The tank sprayer of  claim 15  wherein a recess is formed in the starting portion of each of the first plurality of threads, the recess having a depth extending from the bottom side of the thread toward the mouth side of the thread and a width defined by a first edge and a second edge, the thread otherwise remaining continuous, the recess defining a first length and the distance from the edge of the recess to a tip of the starting portion defining a second length.  
   
   
       17 . The tank sprayer of  claim 16  wherein the lid includes a top and a skirt extending down from the top, the lid having a second plurality of threads formed on the skirt, the second plurality of threads including a top side and a bottom side with a second plurality of grooves formed between each adjacent top side and bottom side, each of the second plurality of threads including a starting portion and an ending portion wherein an opening is formed in each of the second plurality of threads near the starting portion, the opening separating thread into a starting block and a remaining thread, the opening having a length greater than the second length.  
   
   
       18 . A tank sprayer comprising: 
 a. a tank including a mouth providing an opening between a tank interior and a tank exterior;    b. a removable lid covering the mouth of the tank; and    c. an annular seal positioned between the tank and the removable lid, the annular seal including 
 i. a concave interior surface exposed to the interior of the tank; and  
 ii. a convex exterior surface contacting the interior of the tank.  
   
   
   
       19 . The tank sprayer of  claim 18  wherein the annular seal further comprises a collar seated in the removable lid.  
   
   
       20 . The tank sprayer of  claim 19  wherein the annular seal has an “h” shaped cross-section.  
   
   
       21 . A spraying apparatus, comprising: 
 a. a tank having an opening to allow fluid communication between a tank interior and a tank exterior;    b. a lid configured and positioned to cover the opening of the tank; and    c. a seal positioned between the tank and the lid, the seal configured to possess (i) a concave interior surface, and (ii) a convex exterior surface positioned in contact with the interior of the tank.    
   
   
       22 . The spraying apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the seal is secured to the lid.  
   
   
       23 . The spraying apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein: 
 a first portion of the seal is secured to the lid, and    a second portion of the seal is biased against the interior of the tank.    
   
   
       24 . The spraying apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein the concave interior surface of the seal is exposed to the interior of the tank.