TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a sprayer. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to the sprayer having a locking mechanism.

BACKGROUND

A sprayer is a device used to spray a liquid, where sprayers find common applications for projection of water, weed killers, crop performance materials, pest maintenance chemicals, as well as for manufacturing and production of line ingredients. In agriculture, the sprayer is a piece of equipment that is used to apply herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers on agricultural crops.

However, there may be instances where applicators such as the sprayer or any other system including a stream, a jet, a sprinkle, and the like may require two hands for operation (i.e., one for holding a body of the sprayer, and the other to adjust an applicator head). This makes operation of the device (i.e. the sprayer) more cumbersome and less appealing for a common user (say a gardener).

An example of a sprayer is provided in US patent application US 20140, 367 ,496A1 (hereinafter referred to as ’496 reference). The ’496 reference provides a sprinkler. The sprinkler includes a handle. Further, the sprinkler includes a nozzle and a lever. The lever is connected to the handle and is pivotable between an idle position and an active position. The sprinkler further includes a lever-locking apparatus for locking the lever in the active position. The leverlocking apparatus includes an anchor on the handle, a stop formed on the handle, and a catch attached to the lever. The catch is moved on the anchor and stopped by the stop trapped on the anchor as the lever is pivoted towards the handle and released. The catch is released from the anchor as the lever is again pivoted towards the handle and released. However, the ’496 reference falls short of providing an ergonomic and user-friendly arrangement for selectively operating (i.e. locking/unlocking) the sprayer.

US patent application US2016/375,453 discloses a fluid applicator. The fluid applicator includes an inlet and an outlet fluidically coupled by a fluid path. The fluid applicator also includes a trigger. The trigger is configured to, when actuated, move between a closed position and an open position. The open position allows a fluid flowing from the inlet to the outlet, along the fluid path. However, the trigger of the present reference includes a trigger detent mechanism having one or more trigger fastening features which engage with a trigger receiver. Such arrangement of the trigger may lead to a cumbersome, less appealing operation of the fluid applicator for a common user. Further, the trigger having the attached trigger fastening features seems susceptible to events involving wear, tear or even breakdown events during repeated engagement/disengagement of the trigger fastening features with the trigger receiver.

Thus, there is a need for an improved sprinkler which allows ease and convenience of locking even for applications involving common users.

SUMMARY

In view of the above, it is an objective of the present invention to solve or at least reduce the drawbacks discussed above. The objective is at least partially achieved by a sprayer. The sprayer includes an inlet for receiving water. The sprayer further includes an outlet for discharging water from the sprayer. The sprayer includes a handle. The sprayer includes a valve for switching a flow of the water from the outlet. Further, the sprayer includes a trigger configured to actuate the valve. The trigger moves between a locked position and an unlocked position. The trigger allows the flow of the water in the locked position and stops the flow of the water in the unlocked position. The sprayer further includes a locking mechanism configured to be activated by the trigger. The locking mechanism includes a contour. The locking mechanism includes a locking element which moves between a second state and a first state within the contour. In the second state, the locking element engages with the trigger in the locked position. The sprayer is characterized in that the locking element is a linear spring. Thus, the present disclosure provides a simple, efficient, and user-friendly locking mechanism for the sprayer. In the first state the locking element is disengaged from the trigger. This stops the flow of the water as the valve remains closed in the unlocked position of the trigger.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the locking element is a wire. The locking element gets locked in the contour which further checks the flow of water by directly or indirectly controlling the valve.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the contour is a space or a slot where the locking element moves in. This allows desired locking of the contour and the locking element.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the contour is integrally provided on the trigger. This will allow to make the sprayer more compact and light weight, while have other implementation benefits.

Other features and aspects of this invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be described in more detail with reference to the enclosed drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view inside a sprayer, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the sprayer of FIG. 1 around a locking mechanism, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view inside the sprayer having the locking mechanism, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure; ands

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of the sprayer of FIG. 3 around the locking mechanism, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

The present invention will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which example embodiments of the invention incorporating one or more aspects of the present invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. For example, one or more aspects of the present invention may be utilized in other embodiments and even other types of structures and/or methods. In the drawings, like numbers refer to like elements.

Certain terminology is used herein for convenience only and is not to be taken as a limitation on the invention. For example, "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "side", "longitudinal", "lateral", "transverse", "upwards", "downwards", "forward", "backward", "sideward", "left," "right," "horizontal," "vertical," "upward", "inner", "outer", "inward", "outward", "top", "bottom", "higher", "above", "below", "central", "middle", "intermediate", "between", "end", "adjacent", "proximate", "near", "distal", "remote", "radial", "circumferential", or the like, merely describe the configuration shown in the Figures. Indeed, the components may be oriented in any direction and the terminology, therefore, should be understood as encompassing such variations unless specified otherwise.

FIG. 1 illustrates a sprayer 100. The sprayer 100 of the present disclosure may be any device which finds application in outdoor or garden installations to supply or spray water as per the requirement of the installations. The sprayer 100 has an inlet 102 which may be connected to a water source such as, but not limited to, a hose, a tap or any other water supply. The sprayer 100 further includes an outlet 104. The outlet 104 allows discharge of water from the sprayer 100. The sprayer 100 includes a handle 116 on its body which allows to hold the sprayer 100 during working of the sprayer 100.

The sprayer 100 further includes a valve 106. The valve 106 switches a flow of the water from the inlet 102 to the outlet 104 and thereby allows to control the quantity of the water coming out of the outlet 104 of the sprayer 100. Further, the sprayer 100 includes a trigger 110 which is configured to actuate the valve 106. Moreover, the sprayer 100 includes a locking mechanism 114. The locking mechanism 114 has a contour 108 and a locking element 112. In a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure, the locking element 112 is a linear spring, however different types of the locking element 112 have been contemplated and are well within the scope of the present disclosure.

In some embodiments, the locking element 112 may be one or more of a torsion spring, a constant force spring, a compression spring, an extension spring, a belleville spring, a spring clip, a natural spring and the like.

In some embodiments, the locking element 112 is a wire. The locking element 112 may be one or more of an annular snap-fit, a cantilever snap-fit, a torsional snap-fit and the like. Further, there may be different types of threaded locking methods for secure connections of the locking element 112 such as bolts and nuts, screws and tapped nuts, threaded components and the like.

FIG. 2 illustrates the sprayer 100 around the locking mechanism 114. The locking mechanism 114 is configured to be activated by the trigger 110, or by any other part or component of the sprayer 100. In particular the trigger 110 may embody a specific protrusion that is formed to engage and disengage with the locking mechanism 114, whereby the shape of this protrusion may be according to the protrusions generally known from the state of the art (for example with EP 2 368 640 B l), that allow for looking and unlocking of triggers. Further, the locking mechanism 114 includes the contour 108. The present figure illustrates the sprayer 100 in an unlocked position which can be appreciated by position of the trigger 110. Herein, the trigger 110 is in an unlocked position since the trigger 110 remains away from the locking mechanism 114. Further, during working of the sprayer 100, the trigger 110 may move between the unlocked position and the locked position (shown in FIGS. 3, 4) to suit the desired need of the flow of water. In some embodiments, the sprayer 100 may be used left-handed, or right-handed or in any other state.

In some embodiments, the locking mechanism 114 may be actuated by action of the trigger 110, or the handle 104 in some embodiments. On actuating the trigger 110 once, the locking element 112 may get locked with any or both of the trigger 110 and contour 108. And when actuating the trigger 110 in the locked state the locking element 112 may get unlocked from any or both of the trigger 110 and contour 108. Herein, the locking mechanism 114 may be configured such that the locking element 112 may move between a second state and a first state within the contour 108. In the second state of the locking element 112, the locking element 112 engages with the trigger 110 in the locked position, as illustrated in FIG. 4. In the first state of the locking element 112, the trigger 110 is disengaged from the locking element 112 as well as the contour 108, as illustrated in FIG. 2.

In some embodiments, the locking mechanism 114 may include a bayonet coupling, a fine thread screw coupling, a coarse thread screw coupling, a push-pull coupling, a breakaway coupling, a push and press to release coupling, a coupling locked by screw, a push-push locked coupling and the like.

Making reference to FIG. 2 again, the locking element 112 is in the unlocked position. Therefore, no discharge of water from the outlet 104 (shown in FIG. 1). This shows that the trigger 110 stops the flow of the water in the unlocked. It is understood that the valve 106 may be partially, or fully opened by the trigger 110 in some embodiments of the present disclosure.

In some embodiments, the valve 106 may be actuated manually, mechanically, electrically, hydraulically, pneumatically and the like. Moreover, there may be power operated actuators associated with the valve 106. The actuators may allow the valve 106 to open, or close automatically, at the touch of a button and the like. The power actuators make the operation of the valve 106 to suit the requirement (say more or less frequent).

In some embodiments, the locking element 112 may be one or more of a copper wire, a stainless- steel wire, a high strength alloy wire, a copper covered steel wire, a bare copper wire, a tinned copper wire, a silver coated copper wire, a nickel coated copper wire, an aluminum wire and the like.

FIG. 3 illustrates the sprayer 100 with the locking mechanism 114 in the locked position. On actuating the trigger 110, the locking element 112 moves within the contour 108 from the first state to the second state. Further, the trigger 110 (in the locked position) gets locked with the locking element 112 (in the second state) to allow the flow of water. As will be evident, the valve 106 gets opened or unlocked to stop the flow of the water from the outlet 104 in this position of the trigger 110, which is in the locked position.

In some embodiments, the sprayer 100 may be a boom sprayer, a boomless sprayer nozzle, a mist sprayer, a three-point hitch sprayer, a truck-bed sprayer, a towing, a hitch sprayer, a UTV sprayer, an ATV sprayer, a spot sprayer, or a backpack sprayer.

FIG. 4 illustrates another view of the locking mechanism 114 in the locked position. As will be appreciated through this figure, the body of the sprayer and the contour 108 be integrally provided in some embodiments. More particularly, the contour 108 may be integrally provided on on the body of the sprayer. Alternatively, the trigger 110 and the body of the sprayer may be different or independent from each other. Different variations of the trigger 110 and the contour 108 have been contemplated for the present disclosure and all such variations are well within the scope of the present disclosure. This will allow to make the sprayer 100 more compact and light weight, among other benefits.

In the drawings and specification, there have been disclosed preferred embodiments and examples of the invention and, although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for the purpose of limitation of the scope of the invention being set forth in the following claims.

LIST OF ELEMENTS

100 Sprayer

102 Inlet

104 Outlet

106 Valve

108 Contour

110 Trigger

112 Locking Element

114 Locking Mechanism

116 Handle