FR2811643A1 - VALVE BODY FOR SPRAYER - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention concerns a valve body for sprayer. The inventive valve is essentially characterised in that it comprises a valve-supporting sleeve (1), a connection sleeve (2) with a pouch P, and means for connecting the two sleeves. The two sleeves define a sealed channel (7) for ejecting a fluid to be sprayed, the connection sleeve (2) consisting of two walls (11, 12) shaped like curved arches joined along a plane (13), each of the two dihedrals (21, 22) tangent to the outer surface (18, 19) of the two arches and having respectively as ridges (23, 24) the two straight lines common to said two surfaces (18, 19) in the junction plane (13),having an angle at the summit (25, 26) less than 180 DEG . The invention is useful for producing a sprayer wherein the product to be sprayed is contained in the pouch P which is welded on the connection sleeve of the spraying valve body.

Description

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VALVE BODY FOR SPRAYER

  The present invention relates to valve bodies for a sprayer or the like, essentially comprising a valve support sleeve, a connection sleeve with a pocket capable of containing a fluid, and means for connecting the two sleeves, the two sleeves constituting a channel. waterproof to allow the ejection of the fluid contained in

  the pocket for spraying.

  These valve bodies find particularly advantageous applications in bottles for spraying products such as cosmetics, foodstuffs, therapeutics, etc. Sprayers are already known, such as that which is partially and schematically illustrated in FIG. 1. Such a sprayer essentially comprises a valve body 101 comprising a sleeve 102 for supporting the spray valve 103, a connection sleeve 104 with a pocket 105 suitable to contain a fluid to be sprayed. In general, the bag 105 is enclosed in a sealed enclosure 106, the valve body 101 being integral with an orifice 107 formed in the wall of this sealed enclosure so that the spray outlet 108 of the valve 103 is located at the outside 109 of enclosure 106 but that

  pocket 105 is entirely contained in this enclosure.

  Such a spraying system is known in itself and operates as follows: The fluid to be sprayed is contained in the bag 105 while a pressurized ejector fluid is introduced into the enclosure 106 in the space 110 between the wall of the enclosure and the pocket 105. When the valve 103 is actuated, the fluid contained in the pocket 105 pressurized by the ejector fluid passes through the valve body 101 and is sprayed with the

exit 108.

  One of the problems which arise during the production of such a sprayer is the connection of the bag 105 with the valve body 101. In the majority of cases, the connection is made simultaneously with the production of the bag by superposition of two waterproof sheets 111, 112 whose edges 113, 114 are welded together by trapping the connection sleeve 104 so that the channel 115 defined in the valve body

  opens into the pocket 105.

  One of the solutions which has been adopted to weld the edges of the sheets with the connection sleeve 104 is that which consists in giving the sleeve a shape.

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  cylindrical provided with two diametrically opposite fins 116, 117 on which the two sheets come to bear so that, when the welding is carried out between the two sheets and the sleeve, the fins contribute to ensuring continuity of the edges of the two

  sheets without significant sharp angles to obtain a perfect seal.

  s This solution gives very good results but can have drawbacks.

  One of these drawbacks is that it is generally not possible to exert significant pressure on the connection sleeve via the sheets during welding, which sometimes results in welds whose reliability does not is not certain and therefore leaks at the connection with the bag. This drawback requires testing

  sealing on all sprayers produced using this technique.

  Another drawback is constituted by the fact that, as these valve bodies are generally produced by molding and that the fins have a non-negligible size, the molds used for the production of these valve bodies have a structure

  relatively complicated and expensive, like the so-called "slide" molds.

  The present invention therefore aims to provide a valve body which overcomes the

  disadvantages mentioned above.

  More specifically, the subject of the present invention is a valve body for a sprayer or the like, essentially comprising a valve support sleeve, a connection sleeve with a pocket capable of containing a fluid, and means for connecting the two sleeves, the two sleeves defining a sealed channel to allow the ejection of a fluid for spraying, characterized in that said connection sleeve is constituted by two walls in the form of curved arches joining along a junction plane to form a part of substantially cylindrical shape having symmetry with respect to two perpendicular planes intersecting along the axis of symmetry of said part, said junction plane constituting one of the two planes of symmetry, the external surface of these two arches having in each point a radius of curvature whose value is greater than the distance separating this point from the axis of symmetry, each of two dihedrons tangent to the outer surface of the two arches and having the edges of the two common lines of these two surfaces in said junction plane, having an angle at the top

less than 180.

  Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the

  following description given with reference to the accompanying drawings by way of illustration but not at all

limiting, in which:

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  FIG. 1 represents, in diagrammatic form, a sectional view of part of an embodiment of a sprayer comprising a valve body according to the prior art,

  described above in the preamble to this description,

  FIG. 2 represents, seen in perspective, a valve body for a sprayer according to the invention, FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 represent an advantageous embodiment of a valve body for a sprayer according to the invention, FIGS. 3 and 4 being two cross-sectional views along two perpendicular planes and FIG. 5 a view from below, FIG. 6 represents a diagram in bottom view of the valve body in accordance with the view according to FIG. 5, making it possible to highlight the advantages structural of the valve body according to the invention, and FIG. 7 schematically represents another embodiment of a body

valve according to the invention.

  It is specified that, in the six figures 2 to 7, the same references designate the same elements, whatever the figure on which they appear and whatever the form of representation of these elements. Similarly, if elements are not specifically referenced in one of these figures 2 to 7, their references can be easily found in

referring to another figure.

  It is also specified that, when, according to the definition of the invention, the object of the invention comprises "at least one" element having a given function, the mode of

  embodiment described may include several of these elements.

  Similarly, if the embodiment of the object according to the invention as illustrated

  contains several elements of identical function and if, in the description, it is not

  specified that the object according to this invention must necessarily include a particular number of these elements, the object of the invention may be defined as comprising "at

minus one "of these.

  The present invention relates, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 7, to a valve body C for a sprayer or the like, for example a sprayer used to deliver in the form of sprayed fluid a medicament, a cosmetic product, a food product, etc. The valve body according to the invention comprises a valve support sleeve 1, a connection sleeve 2 capable of being connected, as will be explained below, with a pocket P capable of containing a fluid which can be sprayed when it is placed under pressure, and means 6 for connecting the two sleeves so that these two sleeves define a

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  sealed channel 7 to allow the ejection of the fluid contained directly or indirectly in

  the bag P for spraying at the outlet of the spray valve.

  It is clearly specified that, a spray valve being perfectly known from the prior art, it will not be described here, for the sole and sole purpose of simplifying the present

description.

  According to a characteristic of the invention, the connection sleeve 2 is constituted by two walls 11, 12 in the form of curved arches, as more particularly visible in FIGS. 2, 5 and 6, meeting along a junction plane 13 to form a part 14 of substantially cylindrical shape having substantially symmetry with respect to two perpendicular planes 16, 17 intersecting along its axis of symmetry 15, the junction plane

  13 constituting one 17 of the two planes of symmetry.

  In addition, the outer surface 18, 19 of these two arches have at each point T a radius of curvature R whose value is greater than the distance D separating this point and the axis

of symmetry 15, figure 6.

  In addition, each of the two dihedrons 21, 22 tangent to the outer surface 18, 19 of the two arches and having respectively the edges 23, 24 the two common lines of these two surfaces 18, 19 in junction plane 13, at an angle to the vertex 25, 26 less than 180,

figure 6.

  In a preferred embodiment, the valve support sleeve 1 has an outer surface 30 of substantially cylindrical shape and, in this case, it is particularly advantageous, for ease of production in particular by molding in a material such as plastic material of the type polypropylene or the like, that the part 14 of substantially cylindrical shape constituting the connection sleeve 2 as defined above is entirely contained in the volume defined by the casing 31 of the cylindrical external surface 30 of the valve support sleeve 1, as in

  embodiments illustrated in Figures 2 to 6.

  Indeed, with such a structure, the valve body can easily be produced by means of a mold comprising only two parts, a fixed and a mobile, without having recourse, as for the production of valve bodies according to the art front, with two parts associated with at least two lateral slides which, as those skilled in the art know, complicate the production of molds and, in addition, greatly reduce the rate of

production of the objects to be produced.

  Advantageously, the external surface 30 of the valve support sleeve is cylindrical of revolution and the maximum overall dimension, FIG. 6, of the part 14 taken

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  in a direction perpendicular to its axis of symmetry 15 is substantially equal to the diameter of this surface, the smallest dimension of this part 14 also taken in a direction perpendicular to its axis of symmetry therefore being less than this diameter. s Of course, the curved vaults can be of any shape under the structural conditions defined above. However, in an advantageous embodiment, the two walls

  11, 12 are constituted by two cylindrical sectors of revolution, FIG. 6.

  In a preferred embodiment, like the one illustrated, the means 6 for connecting the two sleeves 1, 2 as mentioned above, consist of a wall 32 substantially perpendicular to the axis of symmetry 15 of the part 14, both sleeves 1, 2 being respectively integral with the two opposite faces 33, 34 of this wall, this wall

  further comprising a through hole 35 constituting the continuity of the sealed channel 7.

  In addition, it is understood that the axes 50 and 15 respectively of the two sleeves 1 and 2

  are advantageously coaxial, as in the embodiments illustrated in the figures.

  In a practical embodiment, the outer surface 45 of the connection sleeve 2

  advantageously comprises a plurality of fine circular grooves 46.

  The valve body described above may further comprise, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 to 7, a fluid connection end piece 40 situated in the space 41 defined inside the connection sleeve 2, FIGS. 3 to 6, one end 42 of this end piece 40 being tightly secured to the wall 32 while being substantially centered on the through hole 35, the inside 42 of the valve support sleeve 1, the through hole 35 and

  the interior 43 of the nozzle 40 defining the sealed channel 7.

  In the embodiment illustrated in these figures, the length of this nozzle 40 is substantially equal to the depth of the connection sleeve 2, but it is obvious that it can be longer or shorter. However, its outer section must be less than

  the section of the inner wall 44 of the connection sleeve.

  According to another embodiment schematically illustrated in FIG. 7, the fluid connection end piece 40 can be sealingly secured to the end 72 of the connection sleeve 2 opposite to that which is linked to the connection means 6 of the two sleeves 1 and 2. The end piece 40 is then located outside of the connection sleeve 2, advantageously being entirely contained in the volume delimited by the casing 73 defined by the cylindrical outer surface 45 of the connection sleeve 2. The channel 7 is then in this embodiment, successively formed by the interior 42 of the valve support sleeve 1, the through hole 35, the interior 41 of the connection sleeve 2 and

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  inside the fluid connection end piece 40.

  With such a valve body, the bag P is connected to the connection sleeve 2 in the following advantageous manner: First, we start by making two sheets 51, 52, for example made up of a stack of three layers, one layer of aluminum sandwiched between two layers for example of polypropylene, then these two sheets are applied one on

  the other so that a part of their edges traps the connection sleeve 2.

  Then, the edges 53, 54 of the two sheets in contact with each other are welded together, and the parts of the edges in contact with the outer surface 45 of the two arches

  constituting the connection sleeve are welded to this surface.

  Welding is for example carried out by heat welding by applying opposing pressure forces, as shown by arrows 60 and 61, for example by means of two dies which press the edges 53, 54 of the two sheets on each other and the parts of these edges at the two arches of the connection sleeve 2 on these two

  vaults thanks to complementary hollow shapes of these two vaults.

  The substantially ovoid shape of the part 14 constituting the connection sleeve allows this part to perfectly resist antagonistic forces 60, 61 of high intensity

applied to the surface 45.

  Thus, the weld is in every way of good quality and the forces which are applied at and in the vicinity of the edges 23, 24 of the dihedrons 21, 22 allow the two edges of the two sheets to be properly applied to each other and on the sleeve, and get a perfect

  sealing at these two edges.

  The pocket P thus formed is perfectly linked to the connection sleeve 2 by making a leak-tight passage without leakage, the fine grooves 46 possibly facilitating the

  degassing and / or evacuation of vapors at the time of welding.

  When the valve body C has a connection end piece like the end piece 40, it is possible to connect to this valve body another pocket Pi before making and connecting the pocket P as described above. This internal pocket Pi will be inserted by its outlet orifice 70 on the end piece 40. If its outlet orifice is constituted by a long female end piece, it may be inserted in the end piece 40 according to the embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4 If its outlet is made up of a short end or

  zero length, it will be plugged into the end piece 40 according to the embodiment of FIG. 7.

  When the valve body C has a connection end piece 40, the product to be returned will be contained in the interior pocket Pi connected to the end piece 40, while the gas

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  propellant will be located in the space 71 defined between the external pocket P welded to the sleeve of

  connection 2 and the interior pocket Pi.

  The elements constituting the valve are then placed in the valve support sleeve 1 and the valve body C is mounted in cooperation with, for example, a metal casing shown diagrammatically at 74 in FIG. 7. These valve elements and the method for mount the valve body C in cooperation with the casing 74 which does not fall within the scope of

  protection of the present invention, they will not be described here.

  In the present description, it appears that the valve body according to the invention has,

  as mentioned before, a final cost price much lower than those of the prior art.

  Because its structure gives it in particular, on the one hand, greater ease of production by molding in one piece with a mold of very simple structure, and therefore a cost of

  very inferior manufacturing, and on the other hand a versatile use as explained above

above.

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Claims (5)

  1. Valve body (C) for sprayer or the like, essentially comprising a valve support sleeve (1), a connection sleeve (2) with a pocket (P, Pe) capable of containing a fluid, and means ( 6) to connect the two sleeves, the two sleeves defining a sealed channel (7) to allow the ejection of a fluid for spraying, characterized in that said connection sleeve (2) is constituted by two walls (11, 12) in the form of curved arches joining along a junction plane (13) to form a part (14) of substantially cylindrical shape having symmetry with respect to two perpendicular planes (16, 17) intersecting along its axis of symmetry (15), said junction plane (13) constituting one of the two planes of symmetry, the external surface (18, 19) of these two arches having at each point a radius of curvature whose value is greater than the distance between this point and the axis of symmetry (15 ), each of the two dihedrons (21, 22) tangent to the external surface (18, 19) of the two arches and having for edges (23, 24) the two common lines of these two surfaces (18, 19) in said plane of   junction (13), having an angle at the top (25, 26) less than 180.   2- valve body according to claim 1, characterized in that said sleeve   valve support (1) has an outer surface (30) of substantially cylindrical shape.   3- valve body according to claim 2, characterized in that said part of substantially cylindrical shape (14) constituting the connection sleeve (2) is entirely contained in the volume defined by the envelope (31) of the outer surface   cylindrical (30) of the valve support sleeve (1).   4- valve body according to claim 3, characterized in that the outer surface (30) of the valve support sleeve (1) is cylindrical of revolution, the maximum overall dimension of said part (14) taken along a direction perpendicular to its axis of symmetry (15) being substantially equal to the diameter of the outer surface (30)   of said valve support sleeve (1).   - Valve body according to claim 4, characterized in that the two walls (11, 12) in the form of curved arches are formed by two cylindrical sectors of revolution. 9 2811643   6- valve body according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that   that the means (6) for connecting the two sleeves (1, 2) are constituted by a wall (32) substantially perpendicular to the axis of symmetry (15) of said piece (14), the two sleeves being respectively integral with the two opposite faces (33, 34) of said wall, said wall   comprising a through hole (35) constituting the continuity of said sealed channel (7).   7. valve body according to claim 6, characterized in that it further comprises a fluid connection end piece (40) located in the space (41) defined inside said connection sleeve (2), one end (42) of said end piece (40) being tightly secured to said wall (32) being substantially centered on said through-hole (35), the external section of said end piece (40) being smaller than the section of the internal wall (44) of said connection sleeve (2), the interior (42) of said valve support sleeve (1), the through hole (35) and the interior (43) of said nozzle (40)   defining said sealed channel (7).   8. Valve body according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that it   further comprises a connection end piece (40) sealingly integral with the end (72) of said connection sleeve (2) which is opposite to that which is linked to the connecting means (6) of the two sleeves, said end piece being located outside said connection sleeve (2) and entirely contained in the volume delimited by the envelope (73)   defined by the cylindrical outer surface (45) of the connection sleeve (2).   9. Valve body according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the   outer surface (45) of the connection sleeve has circular grooves (46).   10. Valve body according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that it is   made in one piece by molding.