Field of Search:
128/229,66,65 251/9,7 137/525 239/315,316 222/567
Claims:
What I therefore claim and desire to cover by Letters Patent is
1. In combination with a fountain syringe system of the character disclosed including a syringe nozzle a length of flexible tubing and a flow controlling valve disposed about the tubing for controlling the flow of fluid therethrough an improved one piece connector for connecting said syringe system to a water supply spigot comprising, a resilient body member for extending over and coupling with a water supply spigot, means for connecting in fluid passing relation said connector with the hose of said system to pass water from said spigot to said system, an elongated slit formed within a resilient portion of said connector and stiffening means disposed in predetermined close spaced adjacency about said slit to assist in positioning and maintaining the edges of said slit in abutting and water sealing relation when said resilient body member is extended over said spigot with the edges of said slit being operative to separate and pass water from said connector by way of said slit upon a predetermined increase in pressure within said connector.
2. A fountain syringe connector as claimed in claim 1 wherein said stiffening means disposed about said slit is in the form of a tubular insert extending into said resilient body member and including means forming therein a discharge port in fluid communication with said slit.
3. A fountain syringe connector as claimed in claim 2 wherein said tubular insert includes means for connecting thereto the flexible tubing of said syringe system.
4. A fountain syringe connector as claimed in claim 3 wherein a medication receiving chamber is interposed between said tubular insert and the means for connecting thereto the flexible tubing of said syringe system.
5. A fountain syringe connector as claimed in claim 1 that includes means forming a fluid discharge port extending externally from said slit and operative to direct fluid discharged from said connector by way of said slit.
6. A fountain syringe connector as claimed in claim 5 wherein the means forming the discharge port is molded as an integral part of said resilient connector.
Description:
While such fountain syringes as herein shown are known in the art, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved such device wherein the vent valve and the resilient spigot connecting member thereof is formed as an integral molding and of a structure that will readily connect with all sizes and shapes of modern spigots without distorting the valving portion of the device to cause malfunction.
It is a further object to provide a new and improved fountain syringe of which the connector assembly thereof is molded entirely from rubber and plastic and that can be produced at a small fraction of the cost of such prior devices and wherein the possibility of sticking or corrosion of the valve venting portion of the device is entirely eliminated.
A still further object is to provide as part of the connector, a compartment within the water flow passage to the syringe and into which a medicated soluble pellet may be placed for medically impregnating the water flow through the device before it reaches the discharge nozzle of the syringe.
A further object is to provide a pressure fountain syringe assembly that is instantly useable without necessitating the filling of bags or such other devices and wherein a normally closed spring actuated clamping structure about the syringe supply tube, controls the water flow to the syringe nozzle and is actuated to open position by the operator only during such time as the apparatus is in use.
A better understanding of the structure and advantages of the present device may be had by now referring to the accompanying drawings wherein:
FIG. 1 is a plan view, partly cut-away, of the assembled fountain syringe combination of the invention.
FIG. 2 shows an alternate form of the receptacle portion of the device with the syringe supply tube extending from the side of the receptacle.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the connector as taken along 3-3 of FIG. 1.
In FIG. 1 the connector portion of the device is shown as a resilient conical-like body member 5 preferably molded from rubber and including inwardly extending annular flanges 6 for expanding about and gripping, in water sealing relation, any of the various size spigots used in supplying water to basins, tubs, and the like. Secured by cementing along the surface 7 within the reduced or lower end of the connector 5 is a tubular-like plastic valve support member 8 having formed in the wall section thereof an opening 9. Molded within the connector 5 adjacent this opening 9 is a similarly formed discharge passage 10 which is angled in a manner to direct downward water flow from this passage. This passage 10 within the connector is initially closed by a membrane-like partition which, prior to cementing within the connector the support member 8, is slit at 12, FIG. 3, to form the abutting sealing lips 13 and 14 of the water discharge valve that will hereandafter be generally designated 15.
Threaded over the lower end of the support member 8 is a receptacle-like coupling 16 wherein, during use of the device, may be placed any form of soluble medicated pellet 17 with the flow restricting partitions 19 and 20 therein serving to maintain the pellet suitably positioned within the water passage.
Sleeved over a reduced extension of the receptacle as at 21, is a length of flexible tubing 22 that fluidly connects the connector assembly with nozzle coupler 26 and to which the nozzle 27 is secured, preferably as by threading. Fluid flow through the tube 22 is normally interrupted by the tube closing clamping member 28 which, in use of the device, is opened from its clamping engagement with the tube by maintaining pressure upon the trigger or tab 29 of the clamp.
In operating the device thus far described, a suitable medicated soluble pellet 17 is first placed within the receptacle 16, however, it is understood that more frequently plain water is desired. To produce an even less expensive device, the receptacle portion 16 of the device may be eliminated entirely. With the soluble pellet 17 in place, the connector portion 5 is then sleeved over any suitable water supply spigot after the temperature of the water from the spigot has first been adjusted to that desired. The trigger of the tubing clamp 28 is held down until the flow from the syringe nozzle has been properly adjusted. Upon release of the trigger, water from the supply source will discharge through the valve 15 until such time as the trigger of the clamp 28 is again depressed to direct the flow through the syring nozzle 27.
The tubing clamp 28 is of such a spring actuated structure that it may be operated as a flow throttling mechanism whereby the greater the pressure upon the trigger the greater the fluid flow to the syringe, and reversely, the less pressure upon the trigger the less flow to the syringe nozzle. As flow to the syringe is reduced, the valve 15 takes over to discharge the excess flow rather than increasing the pressure within the system to cause separation of the connector from the spigot as would normally be the case.
An important feature of the present device and material to its function, is that the wall section about the outer periphery of the valve 15 is sufficiently rigid as to maintain the lips 13 and 14 of the valve in properly abutting and valve closed relation. In the present device this is accomplished by the member 8 being cemented within the reduced end portion of the connector as shown and thereby to so support the resilient wall structure of the valve as to prevent the valve being distorted as the resilient connector 5 is extended about a water supply spigot. It is understood that here numerous ways may be employed to support or stiffen this valve periphery, however, the method shown has proven quite satisfactory. Improper function of this valve, by distortion of the supporting area about the valve lips, will cause valve leakage and poor regulation of fluid flow to the syringe nozzle.
It will be noted in FIG. 3 that the abutting relation of the lips of the valve 15 at the knife cut 12 provides that as a slight pressure is applied to the inner face of the valve, these abutting lips 13 and 14 are slightly pressed outward to thereby force the inner edges of the lips more closely together to more positively close the valve. In order to cause separation of the valve lips to open the valve, a predetermined increase in internal pressure within the system is required. This valve structure 15, while here advantageously forming a part of the connector, may be located anywhere within the wall section of the fluid system of the device.
FIG. 2 shows a variation of the recepticle wherein, if desired, the discharge passage to the syringe may extend to the side of the recepticle.
While one form of the device is herein shown, it is understood that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the device as disclosed.