This document describes a patent for an atomizing or spray container with a flexible side wall. It contains a tube inside the container with an adjustable air intake orifice. When the side walls are squeezed, both air and liquid are forced up the tube where they mix and are ejected through a spray outlet. The tube can be adjusted to control the mixture and produce different types of sprays. Various embodiments are illustrated with different configurations for the tube and adjusting the air orifice.

1. * GB780125 (A)
Description: GB780125 (A) ? 1957-07-31
Improvements in or relating to atomising or spray containers
Description of GB780125 (A)
PATENT SPECIFICATION
780, 125 Date of filing Complete Specification: Dec. 7, 1955.
Application Date: Dec. 7, 1954.
No. 35452/54.
Complete Specification Published: July 31, 1957.
Index at acceptance:-Classes 18, G(1: 4: 6); and 69(3), IX.
International Classification:-B05.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
Improvements in or relating to Atomising or Spray Containers I,
ALFONSO AMIGO, of 157, Dukes Road, Western Avenue, Park Royal, London,
W.3, a British Subject, do hereby declare the invention, for which I
pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is
to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following
statement: This invention relates to atomising or spray containers of
flexible material such that the side walls of the container can be
squeezed together so as to eject part of the liquid or powder contents
in the form of a fine spray or jet.
Such a container has previously been proposed having a stopper
provided with an atomising orifice and a tube depending from the
stopper almost to the bottom of the container. In this prior proposal
the upper end of the tube communicated with a small mixing chamber in
the stopper and ducts in the stopper alongside the tube led from the
air space within the container to the mixing chamber. The spray
orifice communicated with the mixing chamber so that by squeezing
together the walls of the flexible container, liquid was forced up the
tube into the mixing chamber and air was forced along the ducts from
the air space within the container, so that air and liquid became
mixed in the mixing chamber and was projected through the spray
orifice as a fine spray.
According to the present invention, the tube is formed with an

2. adjustable orifice or orifices arranged to communicate with the air
space within the container so that when the walls of the container are
squeezed together air is forced into the tube and mixed with the
liquid or powder rising therein so that the tube itself forms the
mixing chamber.
The invention provides a simple construction and is applicable to a
tube depending from any desired form of closure member, such as a
stopper, which may be a push-in or screw thread stopper or a screw or
push-on cap.
Conveniently the tube is a push fit in a recess machined or moulded in
the cap or stopper and with which communicates an atomising orifice.
The orifice or orifices in the tube may be arranged to lie adjacent
the cap or stopper so that the effective cross section of the orifice
or orifices can be varied by varying the degree of insertion of the
tube into the recess. Alternatively, an adjustable sleeve may be
provided slidable on the tube so as to vary the effective area of the
orifice or orifices.
According to a modification of the invention the tube projects
externally through a hole in the closure member and is provided at its
outer end with the atomising orifice.
The container may be formed from any suitable material such as
polyethylene.
Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example
with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a
vertical section through the neck and closure member of a spray bottle
according to the invention; Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 of a
second embodiment of the invention; and Figs. 3 to 8 are vertical
sectional views of further forms of construction in accordance with
the invention.
Referring first to the construction illustrated in Fig. 1, a bottle 1
moulded from polyethylene, is provided with a screw threaded neck 2
having a screw threaded cap 3 which may be moulded from similar
material and furnished with vertical ridges 4 to facilitate turning.
The tube 5, which may also be of polyethylene is a push fit in a
recess 6 in the middle of the inside of the moulded cap, which recess
terminates in or communicates with an atomising orifice 7. An orifice
8 formed in the side wall of the tube near its upper end communicates
with the air space 9. within the flexible bottle 1 so that when the
walls of the bottle are squeezed together, air is forced into the tube
through the air orifice 8 and is mixed with liquid 10 which is caused
to rise within the tube 5 so that the tube forms a mixing chamber for
the air and liquid.
& It has been fonn that -the nature of the spray depends largely upon
the proportions of air and liquid in the mixture. Thus, for example,

3. in the case of the tube 5 having an inner cross-sectional area of 1.77
sq. mm. and an orifice 8 in the wall of the tube of an area 785 sq.
mm., the spray produced by squeezing the walls of the container is a
very coarse one.
If the effective area of the opening is increased, the spray becomines
finer until finally, lwhen the area of the opening attains a value of
about 4.5 sq. mm., no liquid is ejected and only air is blown through
the spray orifice. If on the other hand, the effect, i-e area of the
opening is reduced to zero, no air is permitted to enter the tube so
that upon squeezing the walls of the container a jet of liquid is
produced.
From the foregoing it will be seen that by pushing the tube 5 more or
less into the recess 6 so as to vary the effective area of the air
orifice 8, the device according to the invention can be adjusted to
produce a jet of coarse or fine spray as desired.
Fig. 2 illustrates a constiuct'on of spray bottle according to the
invention, in vwhichl the tube 5 is inserted in a recess 6 in a
push-in stopper 11. It will be understood, however, that the invention
is applicable to bottles having screw-threaded stoppers or push-on
caps or any other desired fc,-orm of closure memiber.
Fig. 3 illustrates a further form of construction according to the
invention in which the atomising orifice 7 is:formed by the end of an
oblique duct 13 provided in a protuberance 14 on the outside of the
cap or stopper so that thle spray or jet is ejected at an angle.
Fig. 4 illustrates a further embodiment of the invention in which
instead of tihe tube 5 being adjustable within a recess 6 in the
closure memlber, the tube is provided wl'h a aslidable sleeve 12 which
varies the effective area of the orifice 8.
A still further arrangement is ilustrated in Fig. 5 in which thile
tube communicates through an opening 15 in the stopper or cap with a
transverse duct 16 terminating in a sprav orifice 17 in a side wail of
the cap or stopper.
The duct 16 is provided with a needle valve 18 carried on a plug 19
screw-thireaded into an enlarged threaded socket formed at the other
end of the duct 16. Thus by soreting in the plug 19, the needle 18 can
be caused to close the spray orifice so as to prevent leakage when not
in use.
A modified form of construction according to the invention is
illustrated in Fig. 6 in whi;h the tube 5 is pushed righlit through a
hole in a stopper or plug 11 and the tube 5 is furnisiled at its outer
end with a spray orifice 20. Bv positioning the tube, the air orifice
8 can be varied in size to enablhe the spray to be adjusted from
coarse to fine. Fig. 7 shows an arrangement similar to Fig. 6 in which
tihe le-ngt'h of the tube above the air orifice is such that the tube,

4. which is made of flexible material, can be bent to allow the spray to
work in any direction. In this way packaging is facilitated as the
tube can be completely removed and the container closed in the
customary manner, for example by means of a cap. The tube can be
inserted again when required.
Fig. S illustrates a similar arrangement having a tube 5 which is
permanently bent sideways so as to provide a permanent side spray.
In this construction, instead of removing the tube, the plug 11 is
furnished with a recess 21 into which the end of the tube can be
pressed when a closure cap 22 is screwed on to the bottle.
Although one air crifice S is sufficient, more than one may be
provided if desired.
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