CA1308082C

CA1308082C - Mixing and spraying apparatus

Info

Publication number: CA1308082C
Application number: CA000488034A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Hanshelmut Itzel; Volker Barth
Original assignee: Celaflor & Co KG GmbH
Current assignee: Celaflor GmbH
Priority date: 1984-08-04
Filing date: 1985-08-02
Publication date: 1992-09-29
Anticipated expiration: 2009-09-29
Also published as: DK353185D0; FR2568547A1; DK353185A; DE3578158D1; FR2568547B1; US4705191A; FI852984L; NZ212970A; DE8423325U1; ES295875Y; ES295875U; ATE53555T1; ZA855845B; JPS6142353A; JPH0622716B2; EP0170980B1; FI85457C; EP0170980A3; FI852984A0; FI85457B

Abstract

Abstract Mixing and Spraying apparatus A reusable mixing and spraying apparatus has a fill opening 3 and handpump 2, used to discharge the solution ready for use, arranged at different heights. The concentrate and a diluent may be mixed together in the apparatus which is tightly sealed off from the outside, the concentrate 17 being enclosed in a sealing cap 5 which can be severed by the apparatus so that the reservoir enclosing the concentrate is closed when the sealing cap and fill opening are only temporarily connected and opened towards the diluent when the sealing cap and fill opening are connected in a leak tight manner.

Description

Mixing and spraying apparatus This invention relates to an apparatus with which concentrates, particularly concentrated plant protecting agents, can be safely diluted with a suitable liquid to the concentration required for use, with minimal errors of dosage, and applied by spraying or atomising.
One of the most important methods of applying plant protecting agents is the spraying of aqueous plant protecting solutions using sprays. Different sizes of spray are known, in which the substance to be sprayed is discharged by means of a hand-operated or motor-driven pump. The spray liquor is prepared shortly before application by diluting a concentrated active substance with water or other suitable liquid. A major disadvantage of this process is the fact that the user comes into contact with the concentrated active substance when mixing the spray liquor. In addition, wrong dosages may easily be made and frequently more substance is applied than is necessary and sensible in order to protect the plant. Furthermore, there are problems with the elimination of the left-over plant protecting agent and with storing any unused concentrated plant preservative.
The disadvantages described here are encountered particularly by small users using the sprays in the house and garden since such people often require only very small quantities of plant protecting agent but, as a result of the variety of the plants they cultivate, they keep a large number of plant treatment compositions having different activities.
Thus, the small user must always ensure that opened ; packages of concentrated active substances are properly stored.

Modern plant treatment compositions have been developed to such an extent that only tiny quantities of active substance are required to achieve the desired results. when plant treatment compositions are used on a small scale, only tiny volumes of the solvent concentrate are required in order to produce the small quantities of spray liquor required (e.g. 0.5 to 10 litres). It is very di~ficult to measure these quantities of concentrate, which are frequently less than 1 ml per litre of spray liquor.
Errors of measurement, leading to overdosing and underdosing, are therefore frequent. Dilution of the solvent concentrate would indeed improve accuracy of measurement but the disadvantage is that more excipients and solvents are used than are necessary to provide the plant protection sought. Furthermore, dilute solutions are less stable than concentrated solutions.
Solvent concentrates are also frequently o~ the wrong strength since many users have difficulty in calculating the dosage of concentrated active substance corresponding to the capacity of the pressure spray from the concentrations recommended by the manufacturer.
In the meantime, aqueous solutions of plant protecting agent diluted to the concentration for use have been available, packed in bottles with pump atomisers. These eliminate the risk of wrong dosages and the user does not come into contact with the concentrated active substance.
However, the storage stability of such aqueous formulations is generally unsatisfactory. Moreover the costs of storage and transport for bottles of this kind are high since the solutions as a rule contain over 99~ water.

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~` 1 308082 ~o solve the problem of shelf life and accuracy of dosing, nE-A~ 19 39 086 proposes a container for stora~e and preparation of a spray liquor of plant protecting agent.
A plurality of cups or beakers in which the concentrate is stored separately from the diluent are inserted in a bottle containing the diluent. When a hand pump is fitted on, the feed pipe of the pump penetrates the bases of the cups from the outside inwards.
After the hand pump has been tightly sealed, the concentrate can be mixed with the diluent and then sprayed using the hand pump.
This apparatus solves the problem of inadequate storage stability since the active substance and diluent are separated from each other until the moment of use. However, the following points remain unsolved, which may be summarized as follows:
- The cups of concentrate are opened from the outside inwards. There is a risk of undiluted concentrate running out.
- The feed pipe passes through the individual cup bases only to an extent which is limited by the radius of the feed pipe. For this reason and because the feed pipe remains in the opening, the diluent and concentrate can only be partially mixed together, parti-cularly if the concentrate has a fairly high viscosity.
30 - Owing to the fact that the function of the feed pipe is to penetrate the cup base, it must be very rigid and cannot be flexible.
This means that the dilution prepared cannot be completely removed from the container by spraying. A residual amount of dilution is left behind.

~ 1 308082 - Regarded in terms of the overall structure of the system, this apparatus can only be sensibly used if the diluent and concentrate are sold packed together in a bottle.
Consequently, the above-mentioned problems of high storage and transport costs are not solved.
Hitherto, there has been no entirely satisfactory re-usable apparatus for applying spray liquors of plant protecting agents which combine the aspects of maximum possible safety of use, good storage stability, low storage and transport costs and good miscibility of con-centrate and diluent.
Viewed from one aspect, the invention provides apparatus for mixing and spraying a mixture of diluent and concentrate comprising a container for receiving the diluent and a handpump for ejecting the mixture; the con-tainer has a fill opening intended for receiving a sealing cap having a reservoir extending in use into the fill opening for receiving the concentrate, and part of the sealing cap or part of the fill opening being of such a form that when the sealing cap and fill opening are in a preliminary closure position the reservoir is closed and when the sealing cap and fill opening are in a tight closure position the wall of the reservoir is open into the fill opening.
In particular the sealing cap is at a level above the base of the container.
Some embodiments of the invention will now be des-cribed by way of example, with reference to the accompany-ing drawings in which:- -Figure 1: shows a container in the form of a two-necked flask;
Figure 2: shows a con-tainer with a laterally positioned fill opening;
Figure 3: shows a sealing cap temporarily connected to the fill opening;
Figure 4: shows a sealing cap fixedly connected;
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1 308~82 Fiqure 5: shows a sealing cap temporarily connected to a fill opening and two cross sections through the fill opening, Figure 6: shows a sealing cap fixedly connected to the fill opening.
Referring first to Figures 1, 3 and 4, container 1 has two openings arranged at different heights.
One opening serves as a securing point for the handpump.
In Figure 1 the apparatus is shown in the form of a two-necked flask. The longer neck 7 carrying the handpump is shaped so that it also serves as a lower handle section for the hand pump 2. The shorter neck 8 carries at its upper end, at a spacing a from the base of the flask, the fill opening 3 onto which a sealing cap 5 containing a concentrate can be screwed.
Figures 3 and 4 are detailed drawings of an embodiment of the sealing cap 5 which consists essentially of a screw cap 9 and a cup 10. Inside the screw cap is a collar 11 projecting radially from the base, on the outer surface of which is fitted the cup 10. The cup 10, preferably made of plastics, has in its upper portion an outwardly directed rim 12 which is shaped so that it fits onto the upper rim of the fill opening 3 without projecting. The height b of the rim 12 defines the depth of drop of the cup 10 into the fill opening 3. In its lower portion the cup 10 tapers at an annular step 13 designed as a weakened preset breaking point. The lower rim of the collar 11 acts as an abutment edge on which the annular step 13 sits flush. The cup 10 may be sealed with radially encircling bead-like thickened portions 1~ relative to the outer surface of the collar 11 and 15 relative to the fill opening 3 which carries the sealing cap 5. When the sealing cap ,............................ ..

5 is screwed in, the lower rim of the collar 11 presses on the annular step 13 designed as a weakened breaking point and severs the cup lO at the level c, the lower part 16 thus falling away so that the contents 17 are emptied into the container 1. The lower part 16 of the cup 10 may also be designed as a flat disc, i.e. the weakened breaking point is located directly on the lower rim of the cup 10 or is a component of the cup base.
Figure ~ shows a particular embodiment of the cup 10 in which the lower part 16, with the sealing cap 5 and fill opening 3 fixedly connected, does not fall away but is still attached at one point 18 of the annular step 13. Since the screw cap 9 must be screwed in by a distance d until it fits tightly, the collar 11 is pushed downward by a distance d and presses the lower part of the cup to one side so that the contents 17 are emptied completely or so that a sufficiently large opening is left to enable the contents 17 to be washed out with a diluent provided in the container 1 without the partially removed cup 16 getting in the way.
The incomplete removal of the base 16 can be achieved by simple means such as, for example, partial thickening of the weakened breaking point 13 in a narrowly defined area, by the choice of a plastics material which expands under compressive stress or by the fact that the abutment edge of the collar 11 abuts on the annular step 13 only at one point. However, it is also possible to use a cup 10 in which the base 16 is completely removable, whilst it is possible, in particular, by simple means to ensure that the opening of the reservoir, i.e. the falling away of the base 16 of the cup, is indicated by a click or a clear change in the resistance to turning when the sealing , -` 1 308082 cap 5 is screwed up. Simple means can be used to ensure that the cup 10 is removed when the sealing cap 5 is un-screwed and is not left behind in the fill opening 3.
This is achieved by having -the cup 10 sit firmly on the outer surface of the collar 11 and abut less firmly on the inner surface of the fill opening 3. The reduced leak-tightness of the sealing cap 5 can be improved by means of a ring seal 19 inserted between the collar 11 and the outer screw cap.
The method of using the apparatus is as follows:
The user first introduces the diluent (4), usually water, through the fill opening (3) into the con-tainer having a handpump 2 mounted -thereon then a sealing cap 5 contain-ing the concentrate 17 is screwed on. As it is screwed on, the cup 10 is severed and the concentrate 17 can be mixed with the diluent by shaking without the need for the user to come into contact with the concentrate 17.
In addition to the sealing caps described with reference to Figures 3 and 4, in which the reservoir is opened by means of an angularly shaped part of the seal-ing cap, it is also possible to use sealing cap systems in which part of the fill opening is angular or pointed so that the reservoir is closed when the sealing cap 5 and fill opening are temporarily sealed, i.e. closed on preliminary connection of the closure cap 5 with the fill opening 3, and opened when the sealing cap 5 and fill opening are fixedly sealed, i.e. in a tight closure position.
Figure 5 shows a sealing cap 5 connected to the fill opening 3 in a temporary sealed or preliminary closure position. With reference to this drawing and Figure 6, which illustrates the same cap in its final sealed or tight closure position, the principle of operation of sealing caps 5 in which the reservoir is opened by angular or pointed parts of the fill opening 3 will now be explained.

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1 3~80~2 This type of sealing cap which can be connected to the fill opening 3 by means of the thread 23 contains a collar 20 extending inwards at right angles from the base of the cap, the lower end of this collar being closed off by means of a closure element 21.
The cavity defined by the cap base 25, collar 20 and closure element 21 forms the reservoir in which the concentrate ]7 is enclosed.
The closure element 21 is preferably a film or foil connected in leaktight manner to the lower edge of the collar 20. On the inner wall of the fill opening 3 there are one or more spikes 22 which are aligned at a spacing c from the inner wall parallel to the inner wall with their upper ends pointing to the fill opening. When the sealing cap 5 is screwed until it fits tightly, the reservoir is pushed into the fill opening by a distance d. The spike 22 passes through the element 21 so that communication is established between the reservoir and the diluent.
The spike 22 may also be constructed as an encircling annular step 2~. This is illustrated in Figures 5b and 5c which show cross-sections ~hrough the fill opening level with the element 22 or 24. Figure 5b describes a possible arrangement of two spikes 22 which are aligned at a spacing c from the inner wall 3 towards the centre of the fill opening. Figure 5c relates to an element ~ 30 24 in the form of an annular step which is also ; directed at a spacing c from the inner wall of ~ the fill opening 3 towards the centre of the fill ; opening. Other sealing caps 5 which are opened by elements to be associated with the fill opening are described in German ~Jtility Model AppIication DE-GB 85 02 007, to which reference is made here.
The fill opening may be located on the second, shorter neck of a two-necked flask (Figure l) '' :'' ' ., .

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1 30~0~2 or laterally on the neck of a single-necked flask carrying the hand pump ~ (Figure 2), but should always be underneath the hand pump 2 so that it is arranged at the height a between the base of the flask and the hand pump and thus determines two fill levels in the apparatus.
Fill level 1 indicates the maximum quantity of diluent 4 to be poured into the flask when it is held vertically~
Fill level 2 is the volume of air above the prescribed amount of diluent.
At least in its preferred embodiments the apparatus according to the invention has many advantages tha-t are particu-larly apparent in the preparation of spray liquors for plant pro-tection:
The metering of the concentrate 17 is carried out by the manufacturer of the sealing cap 5 and is accurately matched to the quantity of diluent 4. All that the user is asked to do is to introduce the diluent 4, usually water, through the fill opening 3 up to the level defined by the mark a. This simple procedure rules out errors of dosage.
If he is using it according to instructions, the user can only fill the flask up to the level a determined by the fill opening 3 with the diluent 4, usually water. Above this level there is a quantity of air present, determined by the total capa-city of the flask. If the sealing cap 5 containing the concen-trate 17 is connected to the fill opening, in the case of a fixed closure the reservoir opens into the diluent 4, as described above. Since the reservoir is then either already immersed in the ., ' :

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-~ 3080~2 diluent or is just about to be immersed, a gentle shaking movement is sufEicient to cause the diluent 4 to rinse out the reservoir and wash out the concentrate 17. Moreover, the enclosed - 9a -:' ' :' ~'' 1 308~82 air (level 2) ensures that the entire contents of the flask are mixed under turbulent conditions, ensuring particularly rapid and total mixing of the concentrate 17 and diluent 4. The ratio of the two filling levels 2 and 1 is about 1:20 to 1:2 ~air to diluent) to ensure thorough mixing.
A ratio of from 1:10 to 1:5 is preferred.
The improvement in the mixing of the diluent 4 and concentrate 17 by the enclosure of a defined quantity of air is demonstrated particularly when - small quantities of concentrate 17) are supposed to be mixed with large quantities of diluent 4.
- the concentrate 17 and diluent 4 have different viscosities.
- the concentrate 17 is in solid (powder) form.
- the concentrate 17 is only with difficultly dissolved or wetted with the diluent 4 in spite of the addition of detergents.
- as the product of the mixing of the concentrate 17 and diluent 4, micells of ~he concentrate in diluent are supposed to be produced.
The majority of concentrated plant protecting agents contain detergents which foam when turbu~ently mixed with air, these foams still rising some minutes after the mixing operation. In the case of freshly prepared spray liquors of plant protecting agents, therefore, the spray cannot be filled until the foam has subsided By contrast with the present apparatus, the spray liquor can be applied immediately after mixing. This is achieved ~ by virtue of the fact that the apparatus is constructed ; as an outwardly closed system wherein the concentrate, kept separate from the container 1, is enc-losed in a reservoir, the opening of the reservoir and the mixing of the concentrate and diluent take place inside the system and spraying can also be carried out without opening the system, so that the user does not come into contact with the concentrate or with any foaming of the spray liquor at any time. Nevertheless, the apparatus permits optimum mixing with accurate metering.
The improved mixing of the concen~rate 17 and diluent 4 in the apparatus and the greater reliability in use is particularly apparent in comparison with the apparatus known from DE-AS 19 39 068.
Here, the fill opening and dispensing opening are associated with the same opening in the flask.
Therefore, the feed pipe of the hand pump must necessarily first open the reservoir outwards before it can be opened towards the diluent.
The reservoir is only opened into the diluent to the extent to which it can be pierced by the feed pipe. Since, in addition, the feed pipe remains in this opening, it is considerably more difficult to rinse out the concentrate.
The problem of removal or safe storage of the opened packages containing concentrated plant protecting agents does not arise with the apparatus herein disclosed since the plant protecting agent is safely stored in the sealing cap until the moment of use and is not exposed to any influences which wouId decompose the active substance, such as light, humidity, oxygen in the air etc. The plant protecting agent may be sprayed in the form of an emulsion, suspension, dispersion or solution, whilst suitable emulsifiers and/or wetting agents may be added to the concentrate.
In theory, all sprayable liquids are suitable as the diluent but water is preferred. The apparatus makes it possible to spray substances in the form o~ dilute solutions which are unstable in solution, e.g. in water, for any length of time since the -'~ ' '' . . , . .
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spray liquor is not produced until shortly before it is required but the substance can be stored without any decomposition in the form of a formulation with a long shelf live.
Another major advantage of the apparatus is the ~act that it is also possible to use physically unstable multi-phase systems as the concentrated plant protecting agent. In conventional plant protection, systems in which two or immiscible liquid or solid phase occur have hitherto been little known since accurate metering is impossible if the entire contents of the mixture are not used all at once.
Consequently, non-miscible multi-phase plant preservative concentrates have hitherto not been used. In the apparatus disclosed however, all the substances contained in the sealing cap 5 are transferred into the spray. It is of l;ttle importance whether the concentrate consists of a homogeneous phase or a multi-phase system.
Another advantage relating to the safety of use of spray liquors of plant protecting agents is the fact that the sealing cap 5 remains on the container 1 until all the spray liquor has been used up and the user always knows what substance~
is contained in the container 1 thanks to the printed information on this cap 5.
The use of the apparatus is not restricted to plant protection. Indeed, it can advantageously be used whenever a mixture is to be prepared from a concentrate and a suitable diluent and then ejected by spraying.
It may therefore be used, for example, for disinfectants, for applying films of la~uor or adhesive, e.g. with a hardener in the sealing cap as the concentrate, and also for cleaning agents or preservatives.

Claims

1. Apparatus for mixing and spraying a mixture of diluent and concentrate comprising a container for receiving the diluent and a hand pump for ejecting the mixture, said container having a fill opening intended for receiving a sealing cap having a reservoir extending in use into the fill opening for receiving the concentrate and part of the sealing cap or part of the fill opening being of such a form that when the sealing cap and fill opening are in a preliminary closure position the reservoir is closed and when the sealing cap and fill opening are in a tight closure position the wall of the reservoir is open into the fill opening.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ratio of the volume of air enclosed in the apparatus in use to the capacity defined by the level of the fill opening is in the range from 1:20 to 1:2.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the ratio is from 1:10 to 1:5.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein said sealing cap part or said fill opening part is angular or pointed so as to open the reservoir in use.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the sealing cap comprises a screw cap having a collar extending radially inwards from the base of the screw cap and a cup fitted ont said collar, the cup acting as a reservoir, said cup tapering along a radially formed annular step which serves as a weakened breaking point, so that the lower edge of the collar sits on said annular step wholly or partially as an abutment edge inside the cup, and the cup has an outwardly directed rim in its upper portion, which is of such dimension that it fits exactly on the upper edge of the fill opening.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein said sealing cap part or said fill opening part is angular or pointed so as to open the reservoir in use, and said sealing cap comprises a screw cap having a collar extending radially inwards from the base of the screw cap and a cup fitted onto said collar, the cup acting as a reservoir, said cup tapering along a radially formed annular step which serves as a weakened breaking point, so that the lower edge of the collar sits on said annular step wholly or part-ially as an abutment edge inside the cup, and the cup has an out-wardly directed rim in its upper portion, which is of such dimen-sions that it fills exactly on the upper edge of the fill opening.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein that the sealing cap comprises a screw cap and a collar extending radially inwards from the base of the screw cap and a cup fitted onto said collar, the cup acting as a reservoir, the base of the cup fitting on the lower rim of the collar which serves as an abutment edge, said cup having a weakened breaking point on its lower rim or on its base and an outwardly directed rim in its upper portion, the dimensions of said upper rim being such that it fits exactly on the upper edge of the fill opening.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the sealing cap comprises a screw cap with a collar extending radially inwards from the base of the screw cap and a closure element which forms a tight seal with the lower edge of the collar forming a reservoir, there being at least one spike, or an annular step, extending from the inner wall of the fill opening, directed towards the upper edge of the fill opening and rigidly connected to the wall of the fill opening, said at least one spike or annular step being arranged so that when the sealing cap and fill opening are fixedly connected, the at least one spike or the annular step pierce the closure element.

9. Use of a device as defined in claim 1, 2 or 3, for mixing, diluting and spraying a spray liquor prepared from a concentrate and a diluent.

10. Use of a device as defined in claim 1, 2 or 3, in the field of plant protection.

11. A diluting and dispensing container for diluting a chemical concentrate therein and dispens-ing the diluted concentrate therefrom, said container comprising a container body having a relatively wide bottom which narrows upwardly into a neck opening having dispensing pump means mounted thereon, said container body defining a diluting compartment adapted to be partially filled with a liquid diluent to provide a volume of diluent and a discrete volume of air within said diluting compartment, an externally threaded fill opening for introducing said diluent in-to said diluting compartment, said fill opening being located on the container body in proximity ot the air/diluent interface, an internally threaded closure cap threadedly engaged for closing and opening rotation with said fill opening, a removable frangible capsule containing a dilutable chemical concentrate seated in said fill opening, said capsule adapted to be ruptured in response to the closing rotation of said closure cap on said fill opening and thereby permit contact between said concentrate and said diluent, and a dip tube attached to and in communication with said dispensing pump means and with the diluting compartment for withdraw-ing the diluted concentrate from the compartment.