EP0420538A1 - Dispositifs de décharge pressurisés - Google Patents

Dispositifs de décharge pressurisés Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0420538A1
EP0420538A1 EP90310406A EP90310406A EP0420538A1 EP 0420538 A1 EP0420538 A1 EP 0420538A1 EP 90310406 A EP90310406 A EP 90310406A EP 90310406 A EP90310406 A EP 90310406A EP 0420538 A1 EP0420538 A1 EP 0420538A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
dispenser according
pressurised dispenser
orifice
channel
pressurised
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP90310406A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
John Perriam
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Aerosol Inventions and Development SA AIDSA
Original Assignee
Aerosol Inventions and Development SA AIDSA
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Aerosol Inventions and Development SA AIDSA filed Critical Aerosol Inventions and Development SA AIDSA
Publication of EP0420538A1 publication Critical patent/EP0420538A1/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D83/00—Containers or packages with special means for dispensing contents
    • B65D83/14—Containers for dispensing liquid or semi-liquid contents by internal gaseous pressure, i.e. aerosol containers comprising propellant
    • B65D83/44—Valves specially adapted for the discharge of contents; Regulating devices
    • B65D83/48—Lift valves, e.g. operated by push action
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D83/00—Containers or packages with special means for dispensing contents
    • B65D83/14—Containers for dispensing liquid or semi-liquid contents by internal gaseous pressure, i.e. aerosol containers comprising propellant
    • B65D83/16—Actuating means
    • B65D83/20—Actuator caps

Definitions

  • This invention relates to pressurised dispensers, in particular to the kind of small hand-held dispenser often colloquially known as an 'aerosol can'. However it is not limited to dispensers which are hand-held, nor to those in which the container is a can.
  • the aim of such dispensers is usually to produce a spray of fine particles of the product to be dispensed, the cone angle of the spray and the fineness of particles or droplets being dependent on the requirement of the particular purpose and product involved.
  • the spray head or button of such a dispenser generally employs a nozzle with a swirl chamber to which the mixture of product and propellant is admitted tangentially so that a swirl is imparted to the mixture before it emerges into the atmosphere at a high speed from an orifice on the axis of the chamber and breaks up into a fine spray of predictable particle size.
  • the break-up into droplets is not caused by any means solely by the swirling action but also by the sudden explosive drop in pressure as the mixture emerges into the atmosphere and, even more important, by the instantaneous evaporation of the propellant, which is a liquid at the pressures prevailing in the can but a gas at atmospheric pressure. Its sudden evaporation blows apart the droplets of the mixture of which it forms part, ensuring the production of a fine spray of particles of relatively consistent size.
  • the propellant is one of those conventionally used to a wide extent in the past and generally one of the so-called chloro-fluorocarbons (CFC's) or their equivalent, or one of the lower hydrocarbons such as butane or propane which, like CFC's, are liquid at the pressure prevailing in a pressurised dispenser at normal temperatures but gaseous liquid at atmospheric pressures.
  • CFC's chloro-fluorocarbons
  • propane which, like CFC's, are liquid at the pressure prevailing in a pressurised dispenser at normal temperatures but gaseous liquid at atmospheric pressures.
  • the amount of the fall will depend on the proportions of gas and of product initially in the container. If there is to a reasonable and useful amount of product present to be dispensed then in a typical case the pressure might fall from 9 bar when the dispenser is new to 3 bar or even less by the time 95% of the product has been dispensed.
  • the position is further aggravated if the user inadvertently, or through not realising the problem, tilts the container and tries to dispense in a position in which the lower end of the dip tube is momentarily uncovered by liquid.
  • the propellant is a permanent gas this can result in a direct and rapid loss of pressure, in contrast to a dispenser of the earlier kind, where there is a margin of surplus propellant and where, unless the uncovering is prolonged, the pressure is restored by additional evaporation of propellant from the liquid.
  • the reducing valve is made of rubber and again acts as a combined valve member and spring; it is mounted not in the nozzle but in the valve housing, at an earlier point in the flow path, but again the purpose is to introduce a pressure drop which itself falls as the pressure in the container falls.
  • the aim of the present invention is therefore to provide a way of achieving a sufficiently consistent fine spray and good spray pattern throughout the useful life of a pressurised dispenser, yet a low cost and without the use of moving parts.
  • a swirl chamber behind the final orifice and the or each channel is not more than 250 micrometres wide by 175 micrometres wide.
  • the final orifice itself is between 150 and 200 micrometres in diameter. It has been found that, using the conventional water-based or alcohol-based products in conjunction with a nitrogen or carbon dioxide propellant, such a nozzle can produce a more than satisfactory spray pattern and droplet size when the pressure in the container falls from 9 bar to 21 ⁇ 2 bar.
  • the main pressure drop which controls the rate of flow is concentrated at the nozzle, i.e. the flow rate is not influenced by any internal metering orifice (IMO) or restricted tailpiece (RTP) at an earlier point in the flow.
  • IMO internal metering orifice
  • RTP restricted tailpiece
  • the delivery rate inevitably falls to some extent as the pressure falls, and indeed there is also some increase in the droplet size, but a compensating factor which has been observed is that at a lower flow rate a small increase in particle size gives no increase in perceived wetness (e.g. in a body spray).
  • the initial delivery rate may be of the order of 0.6 gm/second, falling perhaps to 0.45 gm/sec towards the end of the life of the dispenser.
  • a typical valve assembly for a hand-held pressurised dispenser comprises a mounting cup 1 (for mounting as a standard 'one-inch' opening in a container) supporting a valve housing 2 which traps a gasket 3 against the top wall of the centre boss 4 of the mounting cap.
  • a tail 5 on the lower end of the housing 2 receives a flexible dip tube 6 which extended down to near the bottom end of the container in use.
  • the tail has a restricted entry (RTP) at 7.
  • valve member 8 Within the housing 2 is a valve member 8 urged against the gasket 3 by a spring 9 and having a central stem 10 which extends up through the gasket to receive an actuating button or spray tip 11.
  • An outlet orifice for the product to be dispensed is formed at 12 in a cup-shaped insert 13 which is force-fitted into a recess 14 in the button, simultaneously fitting over a central post 15 of the button.
  • a small radial hole 16 leading into a central passage 17 in the stem 10 is covered by the gasket 3 in the rest position of the valve but when the button is depressed, carrying the valve member downwards with it, the liquid product in the container, under the pressure of the propellant gas also present in the container, is forced up the dip tube 6, though the housing and the hole 16 into the passage 17 and through passages 18 and 19 in the button 11 to the insert 13 to emerge as a spray through the orifice 12.
  • the passage 19 in the button leads into four tangential channels which are defined between the back of the insert 13 and the face of the post 15 to converge on a swirl chamber from which the product passes through the orifice 12 with a swirling action. This is what achieves the so-called mechanical break-up.
  • the heart of the present invention lies in a novel construction of the channels (there may only be one) and the orifice.
  • the channels herein.
  • FIGs 3 and 4 instead of four tangential channels we have only a single one, shown at 20 in Figure 4, formed by a groove in the back of the insert and having an axial depth of between 150 and 200 micrometres. The width is the same. Thus the cross-sectional area is between 0.0225 and 0.04 square millimetres.
  • the back wall of the channel is formed by the end face of the post. The length is of the order of 1mm, but will depend on the diameter of the post and the diameter of the swirl chamber, shown at 21.
  • the orifice 12 has a diameter of between 200 and 250 micrometres giving it a cross-sectional area of between 0.003 and 0.05 square millimetres, i.e. a mean value rather greater than the cross-sectional area of the channel 20.
  • This cross-section is significantly smaller than any other ahead of it in the flow path, in particular it is smaller than the radial hole (IMO) 16 in the stem and the restriction (RTP) 7 at the inlet to the housing 2.
  • IMO radial hole
  • RTP restriction
  • Both the channel size and the size of the orifice 12 are believed to be substantially below those hitherto ever used in production in the nozzles of pressurised dispensers.
  • the axial length of the orifice 12 in the example shown is 150 micrometres, i.e. rather less than its diameter, whereas the figures above show that in the case of the channel 20 the length is five or six times the width. Generally speaking it should be at least four times the width.
  • Figure 5 shows an insert with two tangential channels 20 and 20′. They are each of the same dimensions as the single channel 20 of Figures 3 and 4, and allow an increased flow rate, although with an orifice 12 of the same size as before the flow rate is by no means doubled. In practice we prefer to use not more than two channels.
  • Figures are graphs and histograms illustrating test results obtained with the arrangement according to the invention.
  • Figure 6 shows how, with a typical hand-held pressurised dispenser fitted with the valve assembly described and using nitrogen as the propellant gas, the pressure inside the container may fall from an initial pressure of 9 bar when the container is new to as little as 21 ⁇ 2 bar when 95% of the useful contents have been dispensed. With the known nozzles, in the absence of any compensator, this would result in a very poor spray pattern and very large droplets towards the end of the useful life of the dispenser, and possibly even dribbling rather than spraying.
  • Figure 8 is a graph obtained from a repeated series of tests like those of Figures 9, 10 and 11, and it will be seen that the median particle size only increased from about 41 micrometres to about 60 micrometres as the amount of the product in the dispenser fell from an initial 100% of the full charge down to 5%, ie. after 95% of the contents had been dispensed.
  • 'vapour tap' of a known kind in the valve housing, as indicated at 21 in Figure 1, and this could be as small as, or even smaller than, the channels 20 but it is only in the path of the gas, not the path of the liquid product.
  • each channel is formed in the back of a moulded insert, made for example from acetal resin.
  • a moulded insert made for example from acetal resin.
  • the channels could be formed in another way, for example in the top of the post onto which the insert is pressed, or, as in some known spray buttons, one could dispense with a separate insert altogether and make the spray button in one piece, complete with channels and final orifice, although this could be very difficult to mould, bearing in mind the very small cross-sections involved.

Landscapes

  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Dispersion Chemistry (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Containers And Packaging Bodies Having A Special Means To Remove Contents (AREA)
EP90310406A 1989-09-27 1990-09-24 Dispositifs de décharge pressurisés Withdrawn EP0420538A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB8921745 1989-09-27
GB898921745A GB8921745D0 (en) 1989-09-27 1989-09-27 Pressurised dispensers

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0420538A1 true EP0420538A1 (fr) 1991-04-03

Family

ID=10663651

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP90310406A Withdrawn EP0420538A1 (fr) 1989-09-27 1990-09-24 Dispositifs de décharge pressurisés

Country Status (3)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0420538A1 (fr)
CA (1) CA2026328A1 (fr)
GB (2) GB8921745D0 (fr)

Cited By (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE4130728A1 (de) * 1991-09-16 1993-03-18 Praezisions Ventil Gmbh Ausgabeeinrichtung
US5834286A (en) * 1992-07-31 1998-11-10 Rohm Enzyme Finland Oy Recombinant cells that express phytate degrading enzymes in desired ratios
WO2004067406A1 (fr) * 2003-01-24 2004-08-12 S. C. Johnson & Son, Inc. Ensemble distributeur pour aerosols a faible teneur en composes organiques volatils (cov)
WO2007002778A1 (fr) * 2005-06-28 2007-01-04 S. C. Johnson & Son, Inc. Une composition et ses besoins physiques destinés à éliminer les odeurs dans l’air
WO2007052016A2 (fr) * 2005-11-01 2007-05-10 Reckitt Benckiser (Uk) Limited Procede et composition d'aerosol
WO2010101455A2 (fr) * 2009-03-02 2010-09-10 Commercial Supplies (Far East) Pte. Ltd. Appareil et procédé de distribution d'un désinfectant respectueux de l'environnement
US8475769B2 (en) 2010-06-25 2013-07-02 S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc. Aerosol composition with enhanced dispersion effects
US9040024B2 (en) 2005-06-28 2015-05-26 S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc. Composition and aerosol spray dispenser for eliminating odors in air
EP1878507B1 (fr) 2006-07-10 2017-09-06 Albéa le Tréport Dispositif de pulvérisation et utilisation de ce dispositif

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3120348A (en) * 1962-09-27 1964-02-04 Valve Corp Of America Plastic sprayer construction for aerosol devices
US3240431A (en) * 1964-05-27 1966-03-15 Clayton Corp Of Delaware Combination valve spout and spray head assembly
GB1048028A (en) * 1963-06-10 1966-11-09 Green Edward Howard Atomizer head
US4071196A (en) * 1975-08-28 1978-01-31 Vca Corporation Aerosol valve tip and insert assembly

Family Cites Families (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2767023A (en) * 1956-03-27 1956-10-16 Risdon Mfg Co Spray nozzles
GB1090072A (en) * 1963-04-25 1967-11-08 Cooper Mcdougall & Robertson Improvements in and relating to nozzles for aerosol containers
US4036439A (en) * 1975-09-24 1977-07-19 Newman-Green, Inc. Spray head for nebulization of fluids

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3120348A (en) * 1962-09-27 1964-02-04 Valve Corp Of America Plastic sprayer construction for aerosol devices
GB1048028A (en) * 1963-06-10 1966-11-09 Green Edward Howard Atomizer head
US3240431A (en) * 1964-05-27 1966-03-15 Clayton Corp Of Delaware Combination valve spout and spray head assembly
US4071196A (en) * 1975-08-28 1978-01-31 Vca Corporation Aerosol valve tip and insert assembly

Cited By (17)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE4130728A1 (de) * 1991-09-16 1993-03-18 Praezisions Ventil Gmbh Ausgabeeinrichtung
EP0532822A1 (fr) * 1991-09-16 1993-03-24 Deutsche Präzisions-Ventil GmbH Distributeur
US5834286A (en) * 1992-07-31 1998-11-10 Rohm Enzyme Finland Oy Recombinant cells that express phytate degrading enzymes in desired ratios
WO2004067406A1 (fr) * 2003-01-24 2004-08-12 S. C. Johnson & Son, Inc. Ensemble distributeur pour aerosols a faible teneur en composes organiques volatils (cov)
US7014127B2 (en) 2003-01-24 2006-03-21 S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc. Aerosol dispenser assembly having low volatile organic compound (VOC) content
US8440171B2 (en) 2005-06-28 2013-05-14 S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc. Composition and its physical requirements for eliminating odors in air
AU2006263681B2 (en) * 2005-06-28 2011-09-22 S. C. Johnson & Son, Inc. A composition and its physical requirements for eliminating odors in air
AU2006263681C1 (en) * 2005-06-28 2012-07-19 S. C. Johnson & Son, Inc. A composition and its physical requirements for eliminating odors in air
WO2007002778A1 (fr) * 2005-06-28 2007-01-04 S. C. Johnson & Son, Inc. Une composition et ses besoins physiques destinés à éliminer les odeurs dans l’air
US9040024B2 (en) 2005-06-28 2015-05-26 S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc. Composition and aerosol spray dispenser for eliminating odors in air
WO2007052016A2 (fr) * 2005-11-01 2007-05-10 Reckitt Benckiser (Uk) Limited Procede et composition d'aerosol
WO2007052016A3 (fr) * 2005-11-01 2007-11-15 Reckitt Benckiser Uk Ltd Procede et composition d'aerosol
EP1878507B1 (fr) 2006-07-10 2017-09-06 Albéa le Tréport Dispositif de pulvérisation et utilisation de ce dispositif
EP1878507B2 (fr) † 2006-07-10 2023-08-30 Albéa le Tréport Dispositif de pulvérisation et utilisation de ce dispositif
WO2010101455A2 (fr) * 2009-03-02 2010-09-10 Commercial Supplies (Far East) Pte. Ltd. Appareil et procédé de distribution d'un désinfectant respectueux de l'environnement
WO2010101455A3 (fr) * 2009-03-02 2010-12-29 Commercial Supplies (Far East) Pte. Ltd. Appareil et procédé de distribution d'un désinfectant respectueux de l'environnement
US8475769B2 (en) 2010-06-25 2013-07-02 S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc. Aerosol composition with enhanced dispersion effects

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
CA2026328A1 (fr) 1991-03-28
GB8921745D0 (en) 1989-11-08
GB2236266B (en) 1993-10-20
GB2236266A (en) 1991-04-03
GB9020742D0 (en) 1990-11-07

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