The present invention relates to an outlet device for an aerosol canister or a pressurised vessel. More particularly, but not exclusively, this invention relates to improved nozzle arrangements that are adapted to be fitted to an outlet of an aerosol canister or a pressurised vessel or chamber to convert it from a manually operated device into an automatic device that automatically discharges a set dose once every set time until the canister is empty or until the device is turned off.

Nozzle arrangements are commonly used to facilitate the dispensing of various fluids from containers or vessels. For instance, nozzle arrangements are commonly fitted to pressurised fluid filled vessels, devices or containers, such as a so called "aerosol canister" to provide a means by which fluid stored in the vessel or container can be dispensed.

A typical nozzle arrangement comprises an inlet through which fluid accesses the nozzle arrangement, an outlet through which the fluid is dispensed into the external environment, and an internal flow passageway through which fluid can flow from the inlet to the outlet. In addition, conventional nozzle arrangements comprise an actuator means, such as, for example, a manually operated aerosol canister. The operation of the actuator in the active phase means causes fluid to flow from the container to which the arrangement is attached into the inlet of the arrangement, where it flows along the fluid flow passageway to the outlet.

Almost all aerosol canisters are actuated manually by pressing on the actuator but recently automatic aerosol devices have become fairly widespread for products including insecticides, air freshener, air treatments and others. These take many forms but are usually battery operated and use solenoid valves, timers and sensors to act on the valve of the aerosol canister to cause it to actuate during the day. Refills are supplied for the devices in the form of aerosol cans. Some work on a simple timed device so they spray every 5 to 40 minutes or so whilst others use sensors that detect movement nearby and then release a dosed spray. These devices are expensive to manufacture and are often sold at a loss and the companies then make high profits on the refill aerosol cans much like ink jet printers are sold at a loss so the companies can make money on the replacement inks.

Whilst this approach works well it would be much better if an automatic device could be made so cheaply that there was no need for refills and the spent aerosol cans could simply be disposed of as normal.

Another problem is that even though the devices are often sold at a loss they are still quite expensive and need replacement batteries and this severely restricts sales in developing Countries.

Companies have tried to develop cheap, disposable, automatic aerosol cans in the past but nobody has managed to make one that was both cheap and reliable enough as well as being user friendly. Probably the best attempt was tried many years ago with a dosing chamber with a tiny hole as an inlet so the fluid drip fed into the chamber over a preset time of say 10 minutes. The dosing chamber was followed by a precompression valve set so that the fluid could only be released through a spray outlet once a set pressure had been reached. The basic problem with this approach is that no precompression valve works at an exact set pressure and prior to that pressure being reached, the valve will leak. Since the flow into the chamber is extremely slow the pressure in it reaches a certain point and it starts to leak out through the precompression valve so it never actually builds up enough pressure to be able to properly open the precompression valve. Even if it had worked another key problem with this idea is that the aerosol cans reduce in pressure by at least 2 bars over their lifetime and that means that the chamber fills much faster early in the can life than later whereas a more constant time between actuations is preferable. The pressure in the cans also varies enormously with temperature. Another problem is that sprays tend to be of a higher quality and certainly with finer droplets at higher pressures. This system has to restrict the precompression valve to the lowest pressure that the can will have during its lifetime so it is the least effective for the spray quality. The inlet orifice has to be extremely small to generate a very low flow and this is prone to block or at least partially block causing the system to either fail or at least to vary the time between discharges.

We solved many of these problems in our invention covered in our patent application PCT/GB2013/000319 some of which is covered here again but we have since made a number of improvements to the technology and this patent application is to cover two of those. A fuller understanding of our technology can be attained from that patent application.

A first problem addressed here is that to make an automatic spray device you need to cause the liquor in the can to controUably leak into a chamber of some sort and this is a very slow leak so you need to create a tiny leak path. This is very difficult to manufacture accurately and it tends to partially or totally block preventing the device from working properly. Yet this has to work reliably, it has to be very low cost and must be made in very large numbers. We tried to address this problem in other designs where we had an improved version of a tapered rod in a hole but it still suffers from total or partial blocking which means reliability problems. Our solution is to have a number of alternate routes into our dosing chamber with one route being closed off and acting as an off route and the others all having a tiny hole or groove or recess or equivalent along the route and preferably but not exclusively at the end substantially adjacent to the dosing chamber. These would normally but not exclusively be injection moulded or made by laser and many or most of them would be slightly different sizes so the user can vary the time between discharges with the larger holes or grooves giving shorter times between discharges. So if the route in use becomes partially or totally blocked, the user simply moves or rotates part of the device and changes to a different route that is clear. This way, the device has an off position and a range of other positions varying from slow to fast discharges. The largest route can even have a relatively large hole or groove so that the device functions almost as a standard aerosol with the discharges being continuous. Preferably, these routes are also made self cleaning especially when grooves are used so that routes mat have been used before and are partially or totally blocked are moved into one or more positions where the particles that are causing the blocking can be ejected. Since this regulates the flow and therefore the time between discharges, we will refer to it as the timer or flow control or leak device.

A second problem is that the temperature and hence pressure of the gas varies enormously throughout the day and year and around the world especially if a voc such as butane is used and this makes it extremely difficult to make the device to operate at all let alone consistently. As the atmospheric temperature increases the gas expands and so the pressure increases in the canister and this in turn affects the leak rate into the chamber and the amount of movement of the plunger. Since the times are essentially determined by the leak rate and the plunger movement this makes it difficult to regulate the discharge times and volumes. Also, the can pressure reduces as the can empties especially if compressed air, carbon dioxide or nitrogen is used. Our previous attempts at solving this problem have focussed on making elements of the device compensate for the variable pressure but now we have added a pressure regulator preferably but not exclusively after the inlet to the device and before the flow controller. This is a seemingly obvious answer but the problem is that pressure regulators are quite large by the standards of our devices and also expensive plus they have to be set at a pressure that is fairly low where the spray quality is much worse with larger droplets. Also, pressure regulators reduce the inlet pressure to an outlet pressure or range of pressures that are required but we need to operate above the minimum pressure that may be reached so we also need the device to cut off the flow if it drops below a minimum pressure level. So we have developed a very small and cheap pressure regulator that is comprised in its simplest form of only 1 additional component and is very easy to manufacture and assemble inside our device. This means that regardless of the temperature the flow will be either closed or the pressure will be within a small range enabling the device to work correctly. We have overcome the problem of shutting the device down when the pressure is too low by using a precompression device in the dose chamber that only opens once a set pressure is reached.

These innovations used with our original innovations enable this device to operate with the same functionality and reliability as a standard electronic unit but without the cost or size.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a nozzle arrangement adapted to be fitted to a pressurised vessel or container or to a pressurized chamber of a vessel or container to permit fluid from said pressurised source to be automatically dispensed under pressure at set intervals and set doses over a period of time without the aid of an additional power source such as a battery or electricity, said nozzle arrangement having a body that defines an inlet, an outlet, and an internal fluid flow passageway through which fluid can flow from said inlet to said outlets, said nozzle arrangement also having an inlet valve and an outlet valve and a dose chamber with an inlet and outlet and a means of regulating the rate of flow of fluid into said dose chamber by moving at least one part inside the body into one of two or more positions with each position exposing a different fluidic route into the dose chamber from the body of the device. According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a nozzle arrangement as in the first aspect wherein the means of regulating the rate of flow of fluid into said dose chamber regulates the time between discharges and so acts as a timer.

According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a nozzle arrangement as in any of the previous aspects wherein the means of regulating the flow of fluid into the dosing chamber comprises a series of holes, grooves or recesses in at least one of two parts in a chamber or in one part or the chamber of the body and at least one part is rotated, slid or moved in the chamber of the body and is configured so that at least one of the holes, grooves or recesses lines up with the inlet or outlet hole in the chamber of the body creating a through route to the dose chamber.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention there is provided a nozzle arrangement as in any of the previous aspects wherein the holes, grooves or recesses normally vary in size but 2 or more could be substantially the same size and at least one could be large enough to generate a continuous discharge and wherein at least one of the positions of the part that can move blocks off the hole in the body preventing any flow through and acting as an off knob.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention there is provided a nozzle arrangement as in any of the previous aspects wherein the part that can move in a chamber is configured so that in some or all of the positions where said grooves or recesses have no fluid flowing through, there is a gap between the part that can move and the chamber wall so that anything blocking the recess or groove can fall away cleaning the recess or groove. There may also be an upstand on the chamber wall in the space between it and the part with said grooves or recesses that scrapes the recesses or grooves as they pass helping to clear out the grooves or recesses. According to a sixth aspect of the present invention there is provided a nozzle arrangement as in any of the previous aspects wherein the means of regulating the rate of flow of fluid into said dose chamber regulates the time between discharges and so acts as a timer.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention there is provided a nozzle arrangement adapted to be fitted to a pressurised vessel or container or to a pressurized chamber of a vessel or container to permit fluid from said pressurised source to be automatically dispensed under pressure at set intervals and set doses over a period of time without the aid of an additional power source such as a battery or electricity, said nozzle arrangement having a body that defines an inlet, an outlet, and an internal fluid flow passageway through which fluid can flow from said inlet to said outlets, said nozzle arrangement also having an inlet valve and an outlet valve and a dose chamber with an inlet and outlet and a means of automatically regulating the pressure of the fluid in a chamber upstream of the dosing chamber so that said pressure in said chamber stays within set limits independent of the pressure from the source.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention there is provided a nozzle arrangement as in the previous aspect wherein the means of automatically regulating the pressure is either in the body of the nozzle arrangement, upstream of the body, and on or downstream of the pressurized supply source

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention there is provided a nozzle arrangement as in the previous aspects 7 — 8 wherein the means of automatically regulating said pressure comprises a plunger arrangement with a sprung outer plunger or diaphragm in a main outer chamber in the body that seals off an upstream end of said main chamber and an interconnected smaller concentric inner plunger with an annular sealing element on said inner plunger in a smaller concentric inner tubular chamber in the body wherein the annular sealing element forms an annular seal between said inner plunger and said smaller inner concentric tubular chamber and wherein the larger outer plunger or diaphragm is resiliently deformable or has a spring acting upon it whereby said larger outer plunger or diaphragm exerts pressure upon the fluid in the large outer chamber and wherein there is an inlet hole for the fluid into the inner tubular chamber and an outlet hole from the outer chamber wherein the inner plunger moves between an unsealing inner upstream position where the fluid flows through the inlet hole and past the inner seal to the larger outer chamber with the large outer plunger or diaphragm in an inner position; and a downstream outer sealing position where said inner seal prevents fluid from passing through the inlet hole into the larger chamber and the large outer plunger or diaphragm in an outer position .

According to an tenth aspect of the present invention there is provided a nozzle arrangement as in the previous aspect wherein there is a backstop in the main outer chamber outside of the plunger arrangement that prevents said plunger arrangement from moving past a set position in said outer chamber.

According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention there is provided a nozzle arrangement as in the previous aspects 7 - 10 wherein the means of automatically regulating the pressure holds the pressure of the fluid entering the dosing chamber within a set range of pressures below 1, 0.5, 0.2 bars.

According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention there is provided a nozzle arrangement as in any of the previous aspects wherein the device includes both a means of regulating the rate of flow of fluid into the dose chamber to act as a timer device and a pressure regulator upstream of the timer device that maintains the pressure within set limits independent of the pressure of the fluid at source.

According to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention there is provided a nozzle arrangement adapted to be fitted to a pressurised vessel, container to permit fluid from said pressurised source with an automatic pressure regulator that comprises a sprung outer plunger or diaphragm in a main outer chamber in the body that seals off an upstream end of said main chamber and an interconnected smaller concentric inner plunger with an annular sealing element on said inner plunger in a smaller concentric inner tubular chamber in the body wherein the annular sealing element forms an annular seal between said inner plunger and said smaller inner concentric tubular chamber and wherein the larger outer plunger or diaphragm is resiliently deformable or has a spring acting upon it whereby said larger outer plunger or diaphragm exerts pressure upon the fluid in the large outer chamber and wherein there is an inlet hole for the fluid into the inner tubular chamber and an outlet hole from the outer chamber wherein the inner plunger moves between an unsealing position where the fluid flows through the inlet hole and past the inner seal to the larger outer chamber and moves the larger outer plunger or diaphragm downstream, and a sealing position where said inner seal prevents fluid from passing into the larger chamber whereby the pressure of the fluid in the main chamber and the outlet from it is held within a set pressure range that is independent of the inlet pressure.

How the invention may be put into practice will now be described by way of example only, in reference to the following drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic illustration showing a side view of a first example of a spray through nozzle arrangement for an automatic spray device with the plunger of the dose chamber in the closed state, the leak device in a closed state and a simple pressure regulator inactive due to no pressure and the aerosol valve being closed according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic illustration showing a side view of a first example of a spray through nozzle arrangement for an automatic spray device with the plunger of the dose chamber in the partly expanded state, the leak device in an open state and a simple pressure regulator inlet closed off and the aerosol valve open according to the present invention;

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic illustration showing a side view of a first example of a spray through nozzle arrangement for an automatic spray device with the plunger of the dose chamber in the fully expanded state, the leak device in an open state and a simple pressure regulator inlet closed off and the aerosol valve open according to the present invention;

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic illustration showing a side view of a second example of a spray through nozzle arrangement for an automatic spray device with the plunger of the dose chamber in the closed state, the leak device in a closed state and a pressure regulator inactive due to no pressure and the aerosol valve being closed according to the present invention;

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic illustration showing a side view of a second example of a spray through nozzle arrangement for an automatic spray device with the plunger of the dose chamber in the partly expanded state, the leak device in an open state and a pressure regulator inlet closed off and the aerosol valve open according to the present invention;

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic illustration showing a side view of a second example of a spray through nozzle arrangement for an automatic spray device with the plunger of the dose chamber in the fully expanded state, the leak device in an open state and a pressure regulator inlet closed off and the aerosol valve open according to the present invention;

Figure 7 is a diagrammatic illustration showing a side view of an example of a one inserted piece pressure regulator in an aerosol can actuator according to the present invention;

Figures 1-3 show the device on an aerosol can 101 with only the top of the can shown. In figure 1 the main body of the device 106 is fixed onto the centre circumferential ring 102 of the can and locks into place in the off position with the circumferential indent 103 on the can and a corresponding circumferential rim 107 on the main body and the aerosol valve 104 is closed. The user takes off the lower rim 105 by pulling on the tab 113 and breaking the break nibs around the lower rim 105. The outer cap 100 can then be pushed down so the upper rim 107 snaps into the circumferential groove 103 on the can opening the aerosol valve 104 by moving the annular ledge 108 onto the valve 104 pushing the valve 104 down and putting the device in the on position as shown in figures 2 and 3. The annular ledge 108 also seals onto the can valve 104 and a filter 109 is also housed in the vertical tubular inlet just downstream of the aerosol valve 104. The valve 104 is depressed and is open in this open position so fluid can flow from the can 101 to the filter 109 and into the device. The outer cover 100 that fits on the outside rim of the can 102 is also for decorative effect. An aerosol can is shown but it could be any pressurized vessel or source of pressurized fluid such as a pressurized pipe or chamber in a device and any suitable means of attaching the device to the can could be used.

From the aerosol valve 104 the fluid flows to the filter 109, then into a first small horizontal tubular chamber 112 that forms part of a pressure regulator and then to a larger pressure chamber 116 that is also part of the pressure regulator. Inside the pressure chamber 116 is a resiliently deformable plunger and diaphragm arrangement 140 that has a small inner plunger seal 144 and a larger fixed outer seal 165 joined with a resiliently deformable diaphragm 163 with the inner plunger seal 144 sealing inside the first small horizontal tubular chamber 112 and the outer seal 165 sealing in the larger horizontal outer tubular pressure chamber 116. The small inner plunger seal 144 under pressure from the fluid can move downstream inside the first tubular chamber 112 and it moves the diaphragm 163 outwards by deforming it and the diaphragm 163 acts as a spring and acts against the fluid pressure which acts upon it. The outer seal 165 is fixed in place so it cannot move and this can be accomplished by a simple interference fit or by using a circumferential rim on the seal 165 and a corresponding circumferential recess in the main body as shown in figure 7 at 703 or by any other known means such as welding.

In use, fluid leaves the aerosol can valve 104 under pressure, passes through the filter 109 to remove any fine particulates, enters into the small horizontal tube 112 containing the inner pressure plunger seal 104 through two holes 111, 110 in the tube 112. The upstream hole 111 is there to prevent a fluid lockout of the plunger arrangement 140 so the smaller inner plunger can travel upstream of the downstream hole 110 which is normally a larger hole than the hole 111. The fluid then bi-passes the seal 144 of the inner plunger 140 which is either between the inlet holes 111 and 110 in the tube wall or upstream of the inlet hole 110 and then enters the pressure chamber 116 and passes through the tube 120 to the timer controller 130 at 121 and then into the dosing chamber 136. From the dosing chamber the fluid is discharged through the final orifice 131.

The dosing chamber 136 is fed via a first downstream hole 137 in the tubular part 130 called the leak hole and the fluid flows from the pressure chamber inlet 120 in the main body 106 joining the dose chamber 136 and the pressure chamber 116 via the leak hole 137 which is in the timer control 130. This action will be explained in more detail later.

Since fluid can only pass very slowly into the dosing chamber 136 from the timer control 137 at 121, fluid quickly fills the pressure chamber 116 and pushes the diaphragm 163 outwards. The smaller inner plunger 144 is simultaneously pushed downstream inside the smaller tube 112. The objective of this plunger and diaphragm arrangement 140 is to maintain the pressure of the fluid in the outlet 120 from the pressure chamber 116 to the timer control 130 at 121 at a substantially constant pressure which is preset mostly by the force created by the resiliently deformable diaphragm 163 in its tensioned state. A preferable pressure for a voc fluid such as butane is around 3 bars or 2 - 3 bars but any pressure or pressure range can be set. For compressed gas such as air a preferential pressure would be around 3.5 - 5 bars with around 4.5 bars being a reasonable pressure. Any required pressure can be set but if it is connected to a pressurized vessel the pressure would tend to be set around the lower pressures generated near to when the source vessel is empty.

For this explanation only, assume that the required working pressure is 1.8 bars or just above. Below 1.8 bars the small plunger 144 stays in the position shown in figure 1 and the fluid flows through the inlet hole 110 and into the pressure chamber 116 and then through the timer control 130 at 121 and onto the dose chamber 136. For standard butane aerosols the can pressure varies from around 1.3 - 7 bars depending upon the ambient temperature and how full the can is whereas compressed gas or air would normally be between 4 - 10 bars. Once the can pressure reaches or exceeds 1.8 bars the plunger and diaphragm arrangement 140 is moved outwards by the pressure of the fluid from its position shown in figure 1 to the position shown in figures 2 and 3 and preventing any new fluid flowing into the pressure chamber 116 from the inlet 110 because of the small inlet valve 144 being sealed in the inlet tube 112. This movement deforms the diaphragm around the section 163 which acts as a spring because the diaphragm is resiliently deformable and tries to reform to its original shape as in figure 1. In doing so it exerts a pressure on the fluid in the pressure chamber 116 and drives the fluid to the timer control 130 and then to the dosing chamber 136 at that pressure. Once some fluid has been discharged to the dosing chamber 136 then the plunger diaphragm arrangement 140 moves back inwards and once enough fluid has been discharged the small seal 144 will pass the inlet hole 110 unsealing it and allowing more fluid to pass into the pressure chamber 116 and moving the plunger diaphragm arrangement 140 back out again and sealing the inlet hole 110. In practice, the movement is very small so the force exerted by the spring section 163 of the diaphragm is substantially constant. So varying the strength of the spring section 163 of the diaphragm varies the pressure of the fluid in the pressure chamber 116.

Pressure regulators are similar in design to this but they are usually more precise and complicated and require more components and space. Sealing off the inlet hole 110 with the small annular seal 144 in a simple tube with 2 inlets is new and is the key to it. One possible problem with this system is that at higher pressures or with fluids like butane that contain gas, the plunger diaphragm combination 140 can travel further outwards and this can mean that the pressure of the fluid can vary more. We can accept a variance of up to 0.5 bars although it is preferable to have it much less than that at less than 0.2 bars. Careful design on the spring part 163 of the diaphragm can rninimize this problem by causing the force it generates to increase substantially once the required outward position has been reached. Another way is to add a simple backstop or plate positioned outside of the diaphragm 163 that limits the movement it can make. It could for example, be in a position similar to where the spring 427 is located in figure 4.

Many types of spring could be used instead or the diaphragm 163 could be modified to be more like a dome, a bellows or a rolling diaphragm or any suitable design that is resiliently deformable. The material would need to have characteristics that enable this to be possible and many rubbers, rubberised plastics or plastics such as polypropylene, polyethylene, or any other suitable material can be used. Using an integral spring like this makes the device much less responsive and reliable than a metallic spring and the pressure window couldn't be set by the user plus there will be problems with some fluids that may react with the diaphragm 163 but it would be extremely cheap and for many devices would need only one additional and simple component that fits into the body 106 of the device. The plunger and spring arrangement 424 shown in figures 4 - 6 could also be used instead of the plunger and diaphragm arrangement 140 shown here. What is essential is that a pressure regulator that is simple, small and cheap is incorporated upstream of the timer 130 and dose chamber 136 and downstream of the source pressurized device or chamber. It could even be between our device and the source pressurized device or chamber but it is preferable but not exclusive to have it inside the body 106 device.

The pressure regulator is so inexpensive that we wish to patent using any pressure regulator with a none electric automatic dosing device and also to patent this particular design as a low cost pressure regulator with any application and especially with an aerosol actuator such as shown in figure 7. . This pressure regulator as shown if figure 7 could have many applications with aerosol spray actuators where the actuator often has just the pressure regulator and a spray orifice and produces an atomized spray or where it also has an outlet tube or filter to produce a foam. Keeping the pressure substantially constant throughout the life of the aerosol can is not new but having such a cheap, small and simple valve design is new and the simplest version would be ideal for aerosols. Because the pressure is fairly constant with the pressure regulator then so is the flow which is proportional to the pressure and it therefore acts as a flow controller. The same pressure regulator design could also be used with manually activated trigger sprayers or foamers to maintain a substantially constant pressure regardless of how hard or soft a user pulls the handle. This would be anywhere between the outlet from the pump chamber and the final outlet.

Figures 4 - 6 show a second version of the invention that is fundamentally the same as the first in figures 1 - 3 but with a variation of the pressure regulator design and the timer design. Sometimes it is difficult to use the plunger diaphragm arrangement 140 because the chemistry used in the liquor attacks the material. This is a major problem with perfumes used in products like air freshener which is obviously a major application for this invention. In particular, it is difficult to find a material that is resiliently deformable that will act as a reliable spring. So the second version uses an insert that has two plungers and a separate spring 427. It works in exactly the same way as the first example with the new larger plunger 419 doing the same job as the diaphragm 163 but not acting as a spring. The spring 427 itself isn't in the fluid so it can be made of anything and the example shows a fairly flat metal spring that would normally be held inside the body 106 either by friction or by using a circumferential recess such as shown in figure 7 at 703. The advantages of the second design especially with a metal spring 427 are that it is much more responsive, accurate and reliable. The disadvantages are that an additional component is used and the invention is more difficult to recycle. As in the first example, the spring 427 could be designed so that if it travels further than required the pressure levels increases substantially or there could be a backstop preventing it moving past a maximum position. Or the outer cover 401 could be suitably shaped to act as the backstop. Any suitable spring could be used instead of the spring 427.

The fluid from the pressure chamber 426 flows through the channel 408 to the timer control 406 and then into the dose chamber 136. The timer control 406 regulates the rate at which the fluid enters into the dose chamber 136. Basically it uses a hole or groove to slow the flow down to the rate required. The pressure regulator 425 ensures that the fluid pressure is always substantially constant when it reaches the timer control 406 and this is essential if the timer control 406 is to produces a consistent time. With no pressure regulator 425 the pressure of the fluid can more than halve during the lifetime of the pressurized canister and that means that the rate of flow into the dose chamber 136 could also more than halve so the time between doses would also more than double. So the timer 406 has to be between the pressure regulator 425 and the dose chamber 136 and a simple hole like 121 could be used but these are tiny and can easily be under 0.01 mm in diameter. Given that these devices will be sold in hundreds of millions a year it is inevitable that some of them will either partially or totally block and that is unacceptable to the manufacturers and retailers. If they block completely then they stop working and if they block partially then the times between discharges increase. Our solution is to make a device that has multiple routes so if one route blocks or partially blocks the user simply switches to a different route. Each route uses a hole or holes such as 137 or a groove or grooves such as 434 to control the flow. The holes 137 could be different sizes as well so the user can deliberately increase the time between discharges and can have an off position that prevents any discharges as well as a continuous position that produces a standard continuous spray or discharge. Any such variable timer controller can be used and we have shown 2 different examples but the patent is not to be restricted to them. The first example shown in figures 1 - 3 shows how the entire dose chamber 136 and outlet nozzle 130 are rotated into different positions to expose different restriction holes 137 at 121 and these could easily be configured to use grooves instead of holes. The second example shown in figures 4 - 6 shows a separate element 402 between the dose chamber 136 and the pressure chamber 426 and the part 402 again is rotated to expose different grooves 434. This could also be configured with holes instead of grooves and again the grooves can be different or the same in size and an off position 434h with no groove and a continuous position with a large groove can be included. In practice, the users will tend to use similar times so it makes sense to have more than one hole or groove that produces the most common discharge time.

Figure 1 shows the device with the plunger spring 160 in the fully expanded state and the prodder spring 161 in the fully compressed state with both in the dosing chamber 136. The prodder spring 161 is fixed onto the prodder 150 which moves between the sealed position shown where it seals the outlet hole 131 from the dosing chamber 136 and an unsealed position where the outlet hole 131 is exposed. The prodder spring 161 is also fixed onto the downstream end of the plunger 151 which moves between its most downstream position as shown in figure 1 where it may be in contact with the prodder 150 and the plunger spring 160 is fully expanded, to a position further upstream as shown in figure 3 where the plunger spring 160 is most compressed and the prodder spring 161 is most expanded. A chamber called the dosing chamber 136 is created inside the tubular part 130 which is inside a tubular chamber 123 of the main body 106, downstream of the downstream plunger seal 153 and upstream of the outlet orifice 131 and the chamber houses the plunger 151 and the prodder 150. The plunger 151 has 2 annular seals 152 and 153 that seal between it and the tubular part 130 containing the plunger 151 and prodder 150 and 2 springs 160 and 161 The annular seals 152 and 153 prevent any fluid passing in either direction retaining the fluid in the small chamber 126 between the seals but the downstream seal 153 exposes a second upstream input hole 133 into the dosing chamber 136 when it has travelled far enough upstream and allows fluid to travel into the dosing chamber 136 from that input hole 133. The hole 133 in the tubular part 130 leads to a circumferential groove 128 on the outside of the tubular part 130 and this lines up with a hole 122 in the main body 106 that is fed from the pressure chamber 116. The circumferential groove 128 is also on one of several raised circumferential upstands 139 around the outside of the tubular part 130 so it seals inside the tubular chamber 123 in the body 106. The upstream plunger seal 152 is always located upstream of the second hole 133 so it never allows the fluid to pass by it. As fluid enters the dose chamber 136 through the first leak hole 137, the plunger 151 moves upstream and it usually but not exclusively pushes air contained in the chamber 125 upstream of it through an upstream hole in the chamber wall 127 and as the plunger 151 moves downstream air is drawn back through the same hole so the air is never pressurized. This hole isn't shown in this example because it isn't necessary to have one as the plunger movement is usually less than 3 mm so it doesn't really matter if the air in the chamber 125 pressurizes a little.

The dosing chamber 136 is also fed via a first downstream hole 137 in the tubular part 130 called the leak hole which is fed from a dose chamber inlet 120 in the main body 106 joining the dose chamber 136 and the pressure chamber 116 via the leak hole 137. The tubular wall is part of a vertical tubular part 130 which can rotate in the vertical tubular chamber 123 in the main body 106 by rotating the tubular part 130 around the outlet orifice 131. This can be turned into several different positions with each locating a different leak hole 137, 137a, 137b, 137c up to 137g between the dose chamber 136 and the inlet tube 120. Another position 137h is actually a blank wall and this represents the off position since no fluid can then flow into the dose chamber 136. Most of the other positions 137 have different hole sizes in the tubular wall 130 which enable different flows through them into the dose chamber 136. There would preferably be 4 or more positions in total including the off potion but there could be as few as 2 or as many as 10 or more. Normally but not exclusively, the holes 137 would each increase in size starting from the closed position 137h so that as the tubular part 130 is rotated clockwise the flow increases with each position. But the 2 or more of the holes could be the same size if required. The holes 137 are on a raised circumferential upstand 139 around the outside of the tubular part 130 so it seals inside the tubular chamber 123 in the body 106.

The fluid flows from the valve 104, through the filter 109, through the pressure chamber 116 and into the dose chamber 136 through the leak hole 137 in the tubular part 130. The dose chamber 136 slowly fills and the plunger 151 moves upstream compressing the main spring 160 and stretching the prodder spring 161. Fluid is present between the two seals 152, 153 on the plunger 151 and is fed from the pressure chamber 116. After a time the downstream seal 153 on the plunger 151 passes the upstream hole 133 in the side wall of the tubular part 130 and this allows additional fluid to quickly flow into the dose chamber 136 and the plunger 151 moves quickly upstream tensioning the prodder spring 161 so much that the prodder 150 is pulled out of the outlet hole 131. The prodder spring 161 quickly returns to a none tensioned state so pulling the prodder 150 further away from the orifice 131. Simultaneously, the fluid in the dose chamber 136 is ejected from the orifice 131 causing the plunger 151 to move back downstream and this pushes the prodder 150 back downstream until it seals the orifice 131. Then the sequence repeats itself automatically. There is too little energy in the system for it to reliably work much below 1.5 bars as the times and discharges are inconsistent so the prodder 150, plunger 151 and springs 160 and 161in the dose chamber are arranged in such a way that the prodder 150 can only come away from the outlet hole 131 once a set pressure has been achieved and this would normally but not exclusively be over 1.5 bars. So the arrangement acts as a precompression valve. This is usually accomplished by setting the force of the main spring 160 and the prodder spring 161 so that the plunger 151 can only move far enough to pull the prodder 150 out of the outlet hole 131 when the pressure exceeds the set point. The plunger 151 will stay upstream of such a position until the pressure of the fluid increases and has enough force to push the plunger 151 further downstream. This is a restriction in the performance of the device in that it won't work at all temperatures or pressures but it is an important feature.

The interval between discharges is determined by the leak rate and the distance the plunger 151 moves upstream before the prodder 150 is pulled out of the outlet hole. The discharge volume is determined by the diameter of the dose chamber 136 and the distance the plunger 151 moves upstream. Varying the strength of the prodder spring 161 also varies both the discharge volume and time with the weaker the prodder spring 161 the longer the plunger travels before the prodder 150 is pulled out of the hole and the larger the discharge. Varying the strength of the main spring 160 also varies the discharge with the stronger the main spring 160 the higher the discharge as the fluid pressure is higher and it is more difficult to pull out the prodder 150 from the outlet hole.

Figures 4 - 6 show a second version of the invention that is fundamentally the same as the first but with a variation of the timer design and the pressure regulator design. We have found that moving the nozzle 130 as in figure 1 creates problems with sealing the nozzle 130 in the chamber 123 of the body 106 and in turn that can distort parts of the dose chamber 136 making it more difficult to fully seal the plunger seals 152 and 153 in the dose chamber 136 and also extra friction is created between the seals and the dose chamber walls. Also, people can potentially get some residual fluid on their fingers when they touch the nozzle 130. So an alternative position for the timer is between the dose chamber 136 and the pressure regulator chamber 116. The spray outlet 131 is moved to the side of the device just below the top 402 and would normally be angled up from the horizontal as shown in the figures. Now the user can rotate the top of the device 402 which also includes the timer without being exposed to any fluid. The timer still works the same as the first design shown in figure 1 and can use different hole sizes or grooves 434 as before but in this case we have shown grooves in the timer top 402 as shown in figure 5. The timer top 402 has the grooves 434a - 434g around the base 406 and they are vertical and connect to the underside of the timer top base 408. . Fluid flows from the pressure chamber 426 and through a gap 433 between the base 406 of the timer top 402 and the tubular recess 404 that it sits inside and then up through the groove 434 in use and out through the hole 410 and into the dose chamber 136. Only me active groove 434 in the timer top base 406 seals against the wall 404 of the recess and there is a gap 433 between all the others and the wall 404 so that any particulates that may be trapped in the grooves 434 can fall away and a good seal is achieved for the active groove 434 leading to the outlet hole 410. Fluid also fills that gap 433 and it extends above the grooves until the seal 412 between the timer top 402 and the chamber wall 404. Nothing can pass that seal 412 so the fluid stays at the same pressure as in the pressure regulator chamber 432. Since the grooves 434 that aren't in use are now open then any debris inside them can fall out into the gap 433 clearing the groove 434 for the next time it is in position. This action could be enhanced by having a small upstand in the gap 433 on the chamber wall 404 that pushes any debris out of the grooves 434 as they pass.

As before, the grooves 434 can be different sizes with some being the same size and there would normally be an off position 434h where there is no groove opposite to the outlet hole 410 which is then sealed off and there could be a large groove so the spray produced is continuous like with a standard aerosol. It would also be simple to make the grooves small holes instead by adding a recess into the base 406 of the timer top 402 with a thin circumferential wall around the base and holes in the wall that can line up with the outlet hole 410. The grooves 434 are very short and can be wedge shaped with them being larger at the input nearest to the base and tapered down to the required size where the groove 434 intersects with the outlet hole 410.

This is just another example of a timer that can be used and this claim is not restricted to a particular design but rather to having a timer controller between the pressure regulator and the dose chamber that the user can easily operate and that offers multiple routes. The device itself and especially the workings inside the dose chamber 136 are the same as in the first example shown in figure 1 except the prodder 150 opens up a route to the final inserted spray orifice 131 rather than being part of it. There is also an inserted base plate 428 in the base of the chamber 125 that retains the plunger 151 and spring 160 and this can be solid as shown or it can have a hole in it that allows the auto move in and out of the chamber 125 as before. The overflow hole 417 is still there as before and is best seen in figure 6 and it connects the pressure regulator chamber 426 to the dose chamber 126 via a channel 426 and a dose chamber inlet hole 417.

Whilst we have shown an overflow route in both designs the device can be made to work without one so this patent is not restricted to having one. It works the same as before except there is no additional fluid added to the dose chamber and it means that the times may not always be quite as accurate or reliable but the device is cheaper and simpler.

It is extremely difficult to design a method of leaking fluid into a chamber of any automatic spray device on a pressurized container that is accurate, consistent, and manufactureable, can be cleaned and is variable to enable the user to control the times between actuations. This is no small problem as the leaks are tiny and are normally barely a tiny scratch with a triangular groove with sides of around or 0.2 mm or a hole with a diameter of around 0.04 mm or even less. It is only too easy for debris to build up in these partially or fully blocking them. In our first invention we used self cleaning grooves to overcome this problem but it is difficult manufacturing them and they may still partially or totally block. We then tried other ways including using a tapered rod in a hole but the designs just weren't good enough. With the current method, if a hole or groove blocks or partially blocks the user simply rotates the timer to the next position and so on. Some of these holes or grooves could be substantially the same size so they are like for like replacements or they could vary as much as required. The larger the leak hole 137, the lower the time between discharges.

The interval between discharges is determined by the leak rate and the distance the plunger 151 moves upstream before the prodder 150 is pulled out of the outlet hole. The discharge volume is determined by the diameter of the dose chamber 136 and the distance the plunger 151 moves upstream. Varying the strength of the prodder spring 161 also varies both the discharge volume and time with the weaker the prodder spring 161 the longer the plunger travels before the prodder 150 is pulled out of the hole and the larger the discharge. Varying the strength of the main spring 160 also varies the discharge with the stronger the main spring 160 the higher the discharge as the fluid pressure is higher and it is more difficult to pull out the prodder 150 from the outlet hole.

In our previous patent mentioned earlier we also set the plunger and prodder arrangement up differently so that in the rest or off state the prodder 150 was actually clear of the outlet and the fluid entered the chamber around the plunger 151 rather than in between the prodder 150 and plunger 151. The current innovations could equally be modified for this to happen and still incorporate the pressure regulator and the timer. The timer and pressure regulator are not limited to the current set up and apply to any automatic timed discharge unit that works using the pressure of the fluid only. The device has been used on a pressurised canister in the above examples but it could equally be used attached to a mains or pumped fluid or water supply or a device pressurised by hand or any system that delivers fluid under pressure. The applications tend to be insecticide, air freshener, air treatment, air conditioning, humidifying or cooling but it could also be used in any other application including any air treatment such as adding biocides or antiseptics or it could be used with plants or any other application where a timed spray or discharge is required.

The nozzle arrangement of the present invention may be any suitable form of nozzle arrangement. The nozzle arrangement could be in the form of a spray through cap, which is adapted to be fitted to a standard pressurised aerosol container. Examples of spray through cap nozzle arrangements are again described in International patent Publication WO 97/31841 and WO 01/89958. The nozzle arrangement may be fitted to the pressurised container or device by any suitable means such as, for example, a snap fit mechanism. Anything may be discharged from the aerosol canister as a bolus of liquor, a foam or as an atomised spray. The latter may be produced with a simple orifice or with a standard swirl arrangement and for simplicity will be shown with a simple spray orifice.

The actuator means may be of any means that can be operated to selectively open the outlet valve of the pressurised container or vessel. Such actuators are well known in the art. Preferably, the actuator means is a portion of the nozzle arrangement that can be depressed by an operator and fixed in position so as to engage and open the outlet valve and keep it open.

Preferably, the aerosol canister is upright with the device on top of the can or underneath it as described. We have described a version of one of our own such devices but this patent is directed not just at ours but also any such device that isn't powered by a battery or electricity. We also describe possible versions of shut off valves but any suitable valve will suffice and these are just possible examples.

Throughout where we have shown springs they could easily be replaced with any resiliently deformable part such as a flexible plastic component.

Whereas the invention has been described in relation to what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed arrangements but rather is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent constructions included within the spirit and scope of the invention.