Flexible down tube and methods of use thereof

• Main Authors: HARRITY KEVIN, CONWAY SIMON M
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 29.12.2009
• Subjects: ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; APPLYING LIQUIDS OR OTHER FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL; ATOMISING APPARATUS; BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS,e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES,DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; CONVEYING; DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISEPROVIDED FOR; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL; LIQUID HANDLING; NOZZLES; OPENING, CLOSING; PACKAGES; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; SPRAYING APPARATUS; SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; STORING; TRANSPORTING

Disclosed are liquid dispensing devices suitable for use to dispense liquid from a container. They have a conventional sprayer associated with a flexible down tube. The down tube has an essentially rigid upper section linked to the sprayer, an essentially rigid lower section suitable to extend into the container, and an intermediate flexible section. An essentially rigid member (e.g. a sleeve) is mounted on/to the down tube so as to move between a first position in which it covers the flexible section so as to restrict pivoting of the lower section relative to the upper section, to a second position in which it permits the lower section to pivot relative to the upper section. As the down tube is being inserted in the container a flange on the sleeve is held by the container lip so that the sleeve is caused to move between the two positions. The down tube structure is thus rigid during assembly of the tube with the container, but automatically becomes flexible thereafter. Methods of assembly are also disclosed using these structures.