US2012111446A1PendingUtilityA1

Spraying Device and Refill Therefor

39
Assignee: BUTLER MARTINPriority: Jun 30, 2009Filed: Jun 18, 2010Published: May 10, 2012
Est. expiryJun 30, 2029(~3 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Martin ButlerErin CorstanjeSteve Walsh
B05B 11/108B65D 83/303B65D 83/262B65D 83/145B05B 12/08B05B 1/08A61L 9/14B65D 83/16
39
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Claims

Abstract

A spraying device with a replaceable refill of fluid therein is described, wherein: the refill comprises a body forming a reservoir for the fluid, a valve stem at an upper portion of the body and a spray head wherein said spray head has a neck portion and a nozzle portion, in said neck portion is an inlet section attached to the valve stem and in said nozzle portion is a fluid exit orifice for directing, in use, sprayed fluid; and the device comprises an outer housing adapted to receive the refill therein, the outer housing is provided with an aperture suitable for permitting, in use, the spraying of the fluid from the fluid exit orifice of the spray head therethrough, the device comprises actuation means configured for periodic actuation of the refill, the device further comprises an inner housing adapted to receive at least a portion of the spray head therein, and the device is provided with detection means within the inner housing configured to distinguish between at least one area of lower reflectance and at least one area of relatively higher reflectance on the spray head of said refill; and characterised in that the detection means are directed toward either a right side or a left side of the neck portion of a spray head and a corresponding side of the neck portion of said spray head is provided with said at least one area of lower reflectance and at least one area of higher reflectance. Methods of operation of such a spraying device are also described.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 . A spraying device with a replaceable refill of fluid therein, wherein:
 the refill comprises a body forming a reservoir for the fluid, a valve stern at an upper portion of the body and a spray head wherein said spray head has a neck portion and a nozzle portion, in said neck portion is an inlet section attached to the valve stem and in said nozzle portion is a fluid exit orifice for directing, in use, sprayed fluid; and   the device comprises an outer housing adapted to receive the refill therein, the outer housing is provided with an aperture suitable for permitting, in use, the spraying of the fluid from the fluid exit orifice of the spray head therethrough, the device comprises actuation means configured for periodic actuation of the refill, the device further comprises an inner housing adapted to receive at least a portion of the spray head therein, and the device is provided with detection means within the inner housing configured to distinguish between at least one area of lower reflectance and at least one area of relatively higher reflectance on the spray head of said refill; and   characterised in that the detection means are directed toward either a right side or a left side of the neck portion of a spray head and a corresponding side of the neck portion of said spray head is provided with said at least one area of lower reflectance and at least one area of higher reflectance.   
     
     
         2 . A spraying device according to  claim 1 , wherein the spray head is provided with at least two areas of lower reflectance and at least three areas of higher reflectance or, alternatively, said spray head is preferably provided with at least three areas of lower reflectance and at least two areas of higher reflectance. 
     
     
         3 . A spraying device according to  claim 1 , wherein the spray head is provided with two areas of lower reflectance and at least three areas of higher reflectance. 
     
     
         4 . A spraying device according to  claim 1 , wherein the spray head is provided with between two to four areas of lower reflectance and between three to five areas of higher reflectance or, alternatively, said spray head is preferably provided with between three to five areas of lower reflectance and between two to four areas of higher reflectance. 
     
     
         5 . A spraying device according to  claim 1 , wherein the spray head is provided with two areas of lower reflectance on a spray head having a surface finish of higher reflectance. 
     
     
         6 . A spraying device according to  claim 5 , wherein the two areas of lower reflectance are provided by two spaced apart horizontally elongate rectangles of a lower reflectance material relative to the reflective properties of the remainder of the spray head. 
     
     
         7 . A spraying device according to  claim 5 , wherein the two areas of lower reflectance are solid blocks of lower reflectance material or pixellated or to appear as two distinct areas insofar as the detection means is concerned. 
     
     
         8 . A spraying device according to  claim 5 , wherein the two areas are sufficiently elongate to cover substantially all of a right side or left side of the neck portion of the spray head. 
     
     
         9 . A spraying device according to  claim 5 , wherein said at least two areas of spaced apart horizontally elongate rectangles of a lower reflectance material are joined by a vertically elongate rectangle toward the front side of the neck portion. 
     
     
         10 . A spraying device according to  claim 1 , wherein there is at least 1.5 mm between the areas of the same reflectance, between the areas of the same reflectance. 
     
     
         11 . A spraying device according to  claim 1 , wherein the detection means are configured to operate to distinguish between areas of differing reflectance during movement of the spray head. 
     
     
         12 . A spraying device according to  claim 1 , wherein, in use, when the device detects the at least one area of lower reflectance and at least one area of relatively higher reflectance on the spray head of the refill loaded therein, a counting mechanism may be triggered, wherein the counting mechanism is calibrated to allow a pre-determined number of actuations of the refill which corresponds to the quantity of fluid stored in a refill, and wherein the counting mechanism is operable in use, and after the pre-determined number of actuations has been reached, to prevent the device from causing further actuations of that refill until a user replaces the refill and/or resets the device. 
     
     
         13 . A spraying device according to  claim 12 , wherein the device is automatically reset every time a refill is loaded into the device. 
     
     
         14 . A spraying device according to  claim 1 , wherein a control means is provided that is in direct communication with both the detection means and the actuation means, said control means being operative to receive an input from the detection means and being operative to instruct the actuation means to activate or not depending on the received input. 
     
     
         15 . A spraying device according to  claim 1 , wherein the detection means is configured to make a determination that there are differing levels of reflectance between at least two separate parts of the neck portion when the reflectance from one part is at least 0.5 times greater than from the a separate part of the neck portion. 
     
     
         16 . A spraying device according to  claim 1 , wherein the detection means is configured to only be operable during the movement of the spray head, and preferably during the upward movement of the spray head. 
     
     
         17 . A spraying device according to  claim 1 , wherein the detection means is provided in the form of one or more sensors, said one or more sensors being provided with an integrated radiation emitter that is adapted to emit radiation and further provided with a collecting portion that is adapted to collect any reflected radiation, and wherein said on eo or more sensors are Infra-Red sensor(s) or optical light sensor(s). 
     
     
         18 . A spraying device according to  claim 1 , wherein the detection means is configured to interrogate with an effective range of up to 100 mm. 
     
     
         19 . A method of spraying a fluid from a device, the method comprising the steps of: loading a refill of fluid in a spray device according to  claim 1 , placing the device in an operation mode, said mode being configured to cause activation of the actuation means, said actuation means periodically operating to bear against a spray head of the refill and causing the movement thereof to release a quantity of fluid from the refill, said released fluid being sprayed from the device through an aperture in the housing into the surrounding environment, wherein detection means provided in the device are operable in the operation mode to detect and distinguish between at least one area of lower reflectance and at least one area of relatively higher reflectance on a spray head of said refill or within the area normally occupied by said spray head; and characterised in that the detection means are directed toward either a right side or a left side of the neck portion of a spray head and a corresponding side of the neck portion of said spray head is provided with said at least one area of lower reflectance and at least one area of higher reflectance. 
     
     
         20 . A method of spraying a fluid from a device according to  claim 19 , wherein the detection means are operable during the activation of the actuation means and the movement of the refill spray head. 
     
     
         21 . A spray head for a refill of fluid adapted for use with a device according to  claim 1 , wherein the spray head comprises a neck portion and a nozzle portion, in said neck portion is an inlet section configured to be capable to engage a valve stem of a refill of fluid and an exit orifice for fluid, characterised in that either a right side or a left side of the neck portion of the spray head is provided with at least one area of lower reflectance and at least one area of higher reflectance. 
     
     
         22 . A refill of fluid for adapted use with a device according to  claim 1 , wherein the refill comprises a body for containing a quantity of fluid and a valve stem with a spray head connected thereto, the spray head comprising a neck portion and a nozzle portion, in said neck portion is an inlet section and in the nozzle portion an exit orifice, wherein a fluid pathway is defined therethrough from the body to the exit orifice, characterised in that either a right side or a left side of the neck portion of the spray head is provided with at least one area of lower reflectance and at least one area of higher reflectance. 
     
     
         23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . (canceled)

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