JPH0141385B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention generally relates to a liquid material having a miscible gas under pressure for controlling the discharge of a metered amount of material from a container when the container is in an inverted position. The present invention relates to a metered aerosol valve structure that is attached to the opening of a pressurized container that is to be filled with. This type of valve is known from the prior art, especially French patent no. 1287373
It can be found in the number. The valve described in this patent should be used in an upright position with the open container on top.

The invention is particularly designed to allow a controlled amount to be dispensed correctly without fluctuations in the amount dispensed until the container is empty, and to allow filling of the container in better conditions. Its purpose is a valve of the type described above for use in an overturned position. Valves provided for use with containers in an overturned position are described, for example, in US Pat. No. 3,394,851 and French Patent No. 2,403,833. The apparatus of this US patent is adapted for use with compressed gases, i.e. gases that are not mixed with the material to be discharged, and the apparatus of the present invention is for discharging gas-miscible materials. It is distinguished from
In this US patent, a valve return spring is arranged on the outer top of the valve body, which increases the path for the material to be ejected and causes an increase in the dimensions of the valve, thus limiting its application. In the valve of the French patent, the valve return spring is located at the bottom of the valve. In this case, the filling of the metering chamber by the product to be discharged can be prevented.

The invention contemplates a valve of the type described above, in which the valve return spring is arranged at the bottom of the valve, but which ensures complete filling of the metering chamber during the entire life of the aerosol container.

Various other objects, features and attendant advantages of the invention will be better understood when the following detailed description is considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

The valve according to the invention is arranged to be fixed in a hole in the container, such as a bolt or the like;
Ferrule through annular gasket 3
2 includes a sealed valve body 1. The ferrule 2 itself is mounted in a known manner on the neck of the container, not shown, via another gasket. Such containers are used to discharge liquid material with a miscible gas under pressure mixed with the material to be discharged. The operating principle of such metering valves is well known. It is described in the patent cited above. A metering chamber 13 is formed in the upper part of the valve body, and a housing 30 for a return spring is formed in the lower part. The terms "upper" and "lower" are used herein with respect to the container when the container is in the upright position with the opening facing up. It is provided that the container is tilted and placed in an overturned position with its opening facing down for use in discharging the material. A valve stem 4 is arranged inside the valve body 1, and a portion 5 of the valve stem 4 extends through the gasket 3 to the outside of the valve. The stem includes a radial passageway 7 opening at the outer end of the stem.
An inner axial or longitudinal conduit 6 is formed which communicates with the. The stem 4 is deflected upwardly by the return spring 8 and comes to rest on the gasket 3 by means of the shoulder 9. In the standby position, where the spring 8 is unloaded, the shoulder 9 bears against and presses on the gasket 3, and the passage 7 opens above the gasket 3 (it is possible to be inside the gasket, but not below it). ), the container is therefore tightly closed so that the material inside cannot escape. Inside the metering chamber, the stem 4 is formed with a body or a piston 11, for example of the same diameter as the shoulder 9, and an annular gasket 12 is attached to the metering chamber 1.
The central opening 31 of the gasket 12 has the same diameter as the piston 11.

When the container is overturned with the opening facing down, the stem 4 is pressed down against the force of the spring 8 by a push button, not shown, and the piston 11 is therefore forced so that the passage 7 is in the gasket 3. Close the opening 31 of the gasket 12 before it appears on the underside. The closed space or chamber 13 thus formed contains a precise amount of material, the volume of which is given in a precise manner, and contains a propellant gas dissolved under pressure within the liquid material.

If the stem 4 is pushed down further against the strength of the spring, the opening of the passageway 7 will open into the chamber 13 below the gasket 3.
The contents of chamber 13 expand and escape through passageway 7 and conduit 6 due to the presence of dissolved gas. After ejection of the metered amount, the strength of the spring 8 releases the stem 4 and returns it to its initial position. Chamber 13 then opens. In order to have another amount of material in the chamber 13, the container must be placed in an overturned position. The material under the gasket 12 is
The chamber 13 is entered by at least one opening provided in the lower part of the valve body. Beyond the barrel 11, the stem 4 is advantageously formed with a narrow section 14 with a shoulder 15, which serves as an upper abutment for the spring 8 and a lower abutment for the valve. This is the bottom part 21 of the body 1. At the end of the stem 4 a shank 16 is formed which forms a guiding means for the spring 8. The size of the narrow portion 14 is such that when the stem is not depressed, i.e. in the rest position, the body 11 is outside the opening of the gasket 12 and material can easily flow into the chamber 13. It is.

According to the invention, the elongate section 14 is formed with several radial ribs 17a, 17b, 17c and 17d, the cross section of which may or may not be regular, extending from the body 11. It extends into the shoulder 15. Advantageously, each rib has the shape shown in FIG. This arrangement has the advantage of providing a significant cross section for material flow during initial filling and during normal use. The ribs 17 further maintain a free passage through the opening 31 of the gasket 12 even if the gasket 12 swells under the action of liquid material. In combination with this shape of the stem, the lower portion of the valve body forming the spring housing 30 has a longitudinal direction extending along the entire length of the spring housing 30, i.e. from a point adjacent the gasket 12 below the housing to the bottom of the housing 30. The number of openings 19 differs from the number of ribs 17 so as to always provide continuous free passage in a manner that avoids having ribs in front of each opening 19.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, four ribs 17 and a wall 20 integrated by a bottom 21 are provided.
There are three openings 19 separated by.

According to another feature of the invention, the valve stem 4 is formed from two parts: a first upper part 32
includes an outer stem 5 and a barrel 11 , and a second lower portion 33 includes a narrowed portion 14 , a shoulder 15 and a shank 16 . These two parts are more easily and accurately manufactured, avoiding expensive shell casting. The two parts are glued together with adhesive (dotted line 29
They may be integrated by any suitable means, such as forced nesting, with or without screwing, soldering, etc.), as shown in FIG.

To keep the gasket 12 in place, a peripheral insert 23 ( right half of Figure 1)
It is possible to provide gasket 1.
Limit the tightening of 2.

To avoid the possibility of gasket 3 or 12 slipping, a tip 2 is provided on the valve body 1 and/or on the insert 23.
5 is provided.

In case of critical evacuation when said chamber is large and its walls are thin, the gasket 12 can be maintained and the chamber 1
Instead of the insert, a radial rib 26 (left half in FIG. 1), which further strengthens the valve body 1, can be formed on the valve body 1. Since deformation of the chamber is avoided, the ribs make it possible to have a more precisely metered volume.

Having described the invention and its advantages, the invention is not limited to the details disclosed herein;
It is not to be limited in any way other than as described in the claims.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an axial cross-sectional view of the valve, with different embodiments of the invention on either side. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the - line of FIG. 1... Valve body, 13... Measuring chamber, 23, 26...
Cylindrical wall, 3... First upper annular gasket, 12...
...Second lower annular gasket, 31... Central opening, 4... Valve stem, 5... Upper extension, upper outer portion of stem 4, 11... Body, 14... Thin portion, 16... Guide shank, 6... axial conduit, 7... passage, 15... shoulder, 21... bottom, 17... rib, 30... housing, 19...
... opening, 32 ... upper part, 33 ... lower part.

Claims (1)

Claims: 1. Attached to the opening of a pressurized container filled with a liquid material to be atomized containing a propellant miscible gas dissolved under pressure into the liquid material, the container being In a valve for discharging precisely metered amounts of material when maintained in an inverted position with the container facing down: said valve comprises a tubular valve body 1; a first upper annular gasket with a central opening and a metering chamber 13 adjoining the container opening in its upper part when in the upright, resting, non-overturning position, bounded by generally cylindrical walls 23, 26; 3 and a second lower annular gasket 12 having a central opening 31, and a valve stem 4 including an upper extension 5 extending from the valve and extending through the opening in the gasket. What is being done; The stem has gasket 3 and gasket 12.
between which the stem 4 is guided by a narrow portion 14 which passes through the opening 31 when the valve is at rest; Shank 16
the upper outer part 5 of the stem 4 is arranged on the outside of the valve when said valve is at rest and on the inside of the valve when the stem is displaced downwardly; including an axial conduit 6 communicating with the outside through a passage 7 arranged; said valve body forming in its lower part a tubular housing 30 with a bottom 21 for receiving a return spring; , reaching its upper abutment against the shoulder 15 and its lower abutment against the bottom 21 of the stem; and the narrow portion 14 of the stem 4 is formed with a rib 17 and the housing 30 is provided with a longitudinal opening 19. is formed, and the number of openings 19 is different from the number of ribs 17. 2 Four ribs 17a, 17b, 17c, 17d
2. Valve according to claim 1, characterized in that it includes three openings (19) and three openings (19). 3. The valve body 1 is provided with a radial rib on the inside of the metering chamber between the upper gasket and the lower gasket. valve. 4. Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the peripheral insert 23 is arranged in the metering chamber between the upper gasket and the lower gasket.
Valves described in Section. 5 The valve stem 4 is formed from two assembled parts, the upper part 32 of which includes the outer extension 5 and the barrel 11, the lower part 33 of which includes the narrow part 1
4, a shoulder 15 and a shank 16;
The valve according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: