EP1723051B1

EP1723051B1 - Apparatus for controlling flow rate from a valve dispenser

Info

Publication number: EP1723051B1
Application number: EP05717784A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Bernard Derek Frutin
Original assignee: Rocep Lusol Holdings Ltd
Current assignee: Rocep Lusol Holdings Ltd
Priority date: 2004-02-27
Filing date: 2005-02-24
Publication date: 2009-05-27
Anticipated expiration: 2025-02-24
Also published as: WO2005082743A3; EP1723051A2; ATE432233T1; US20080230566A1; DE602005014620D1; WO2005082743A2

Abstract

A valve assembly for use with a dispensing apparatus comprises a valve, a lever arranged to open the valve to dispense product, and variable spacer means arranged to limit the travel of the lever by a variable amount according to the relative position of the lever and the variable spacer means. The variable spacer means includes a plurality of spacer portions of differing thickness, each spacer portion being arranged to limit the travel of the lever by a predetermined amount. One spacer portion may be arranged to allow a full range of travel of the lever so that by pressing the lever fully the valve is fully opened. Another spacer portion may be arranged to allow a partial range of travel of the lever so that the valve is opened to an intermediate flow setting. Further spacer portions may be arranged to provide further intermediate flow settings.

Description

This invention relates to dispensing apparatus and to a user operated valve assembly for use with a dispensing apparatus. Particularly, but not exclusively it relates to a dispensing apparatus and valve assembly for dispensing viscous materials from a container under pressure of a propellant.
It is known to provide a dispensing apparatus which includes a valve mechanism fitted to a container filled with a product, for example mastic or sealant, which is to be dispensed. An example of such an apparatus is disclosed in WO 01/49585 (Rocep Lusol Holdings Limited). The user presses the handle of a lever to open the valve and dispense product from the pressurised container. In apparatus using a tilt valve the user pushes the valve stem to one side to open the valve and dispense product from the pressurised container. However such dispensers are intended for use only in situations where a full flow of product is required. There is no intermediate setting of the valve which permits an intermediate flow rate, and it can be difficult to ensure a steady stream of flow unless the valve is fully open.
US 3,884,399 discloses an attachment for dispensing from pressurised containers. The attachment has a peripheral disc whose underside is stepped or inclined, so that depending on which portion of the disc is tilted into contact with the can, the attachment will be more or less tilted to control the quantity of discharge.
US 5,971,230 discloses a spray quantity control nozzle having a cap member provided on its outer periphery with a depression depths limiting part. This part has a plurality of steps to control the extent to which a push controller can be depressed top control the spray quantity.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a dispensing apparatus which overcomes one or more of the above disadvantages.
According to the present invention there is provided a valve assembly according to claim 1 or 2.
The variable spacer means may comprise a cam surface of the collar adapted to contact the nozzle or lever when the nozzle or lever is displaced laterally and provide a limit of travel, the limit of travel varying with the direction in which the nozzle or lever is displaced.
The collar may include a sleeve substantially surrounding the valve stem. The collar may be provided with markings to indicate the flow setting associated with each recessed portion.
Preferably the collar is adapted to press fit on the rolled flange of a standard pressurised container.
According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a dispensing apparatus comprising a container and a valve assembly according to the first aspect.
Preferably the apparatus comprises means for urging the product from the container. Preferably the container is pressurised. The container may contain a propellant. The container may contain a piston, situated between the propellant and the valve.
Preferably the valve assembly comprises a mounting cup adapted to secure the valve to the container. Preferably the container is provided with a rolled flange portion and the mounting cup is provided with a corresponding flange portion adapted to engage with the rolled flange portion of the container.
Specific embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 shows a collar of a valve assembly;
Fig. 2 shows a section through a valve assembly including the collar of Fig. 1 with the lever in a primed position and the valve closed;
Fig. 3 shows a section through the valve assembly of Fig. 2 with the collar in an intermediate flow position and the lever at the limit of its travel with the valve opened to an intermediate flow setting;
Fig. 4 shows a section through the valve assembly of Fig. 2 with the collar in a full flow position and the lever at the limit of its travel with the valve fully open;
Fig. 5 shows an exploded view of a valve assembly according to the invention;
Fig. 6 shows the valve assembly of Fig. 5 in an assembled state;
Fig. 7 shows a section through the valve assembly of Fig. 5.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings, there is disclosed a valve assembly 10 fitted on a container 12 to form a dispensing apparatus 11. In this example, the container 12 is an aluminium monoblock container of the sort widely used in aerosol applications. It is envisaged that the can 12 could be of tin plate, steel or any conventional can construction having a standard one inch (25 mm) hole in the top. The can may be internally lacquered. However the valve assembly of the present invention can be used with a container 12 of any material holding a pressurised product, for example a container of plastic, glass or metal.
The valve assembly 10 includes a valve 14, a nozzle assembly 16, a lever 18 and a collar 20 secured to the container 12. The valve is a tilt valve of the type widely used in pressurised dispensers and operated by tilting the valve stem 30. The valve stem 30 is a hollow plastic tube with apertures 32 in the tube wall at the lower end. The upper end 34 is open, while the lower end is closed by a plastic sealing disc 36. A resilient grommet 38 of rubber or synthetic material surrounds the lower portion of the stem 30 and is held in place by the sealing disc 36 and a retaining collar 31 formed on the outside of the stem 30.
The grommet 38 is sealed to a mounting cup 44 of metal. The mounting cup has an outer flange 48 which is adapted to fit around a rolled flange 13 which extends around the opening of the container 12. When the stem 30 is tilted, the sealing disc 36 is pushed away from the grommet 38 on one side, and material in the container 12 is free to pass between the sealing disc 36 and grommet 38, through the apertures 32, along the inner bore of the stem 30 and through the open end 34 of the stem. When the stem is released, the resilience of the grommet 38 pushes the stem back to the position shown in Fig 2.
The nozzle assembly 16 includes a nozzle 22 at its upper end. In the example the nozzle 22 is angled, but it may be straight or positioned at a different angle. In the example the lever 18 is integrally formed with the nozzle assembly 16 as a one-piece plastic moulding, but it may be attached separately. The nozzle assembly sealingly engages at its lower end with the valve stem. This can be by a screw thread or snap fit or any other appropriate engagement means. The nozzle 22 may be provided with a removable nozzle cap (not shown).
The collar 20 is shown in more detail in Fig. 1. The collar 20 is a ring shaped collar formed of moulded plastic and includes a circular groove 50 in its lower face which is adapted to snap fit over the rolled flange 13 of the container and/or the outer flange 48 of the mounting cup 44.
The collar 20 is a variable spacing means and has a number of spacer portions 52, 54, 56, each of different height, arranged about the collar. In use the lever 18 is rotated until it extends over the required spacer portion. The user then depresses the lever until the underside 60 of the lever 18 contacts the top of the spacer portion, at which point the lever 18 is at the limit of its travel. By positioning the lever over a different spacer portion 52, 54, 56 the user selects a different limit of travel and therefore a different flow setting of the valve. Fig 3 shows the lever 18 fully depressed over spacer portion 56, with the valve 14 opened to an intermediate flow setting. Fig 4 shows the lever 18 fully depressed over spacer portion 52, with the valve 14 opened to a fully open flow setting.
To dispense product, a user presses down on the handle 62 of the lever, moving it from the primed position shown in Fig 2 towards the body of the container 12 to adopt the dispensing position shown in Fig 3 or 4. Because there is a predetermined valve position associated with each dispensing position, product is urged to flow, by virtue of the internal pressurisation of the pack, at a constant predetermined rate through the ports 32 and up through the valve stem 30 and out through the nozzle 22.
To stop dispensing, the user simply releases the handle 62. This closes the valve by allowing the valve stem 30 to tilt back to the position shown in Fig 2 and close access through the ports 32.
The collar 20 may include a further spacer portion (not shown) which is higher than the other spacer portions 52, 54, 56 and which extends to the underside 60 of the lever 18. The lever could then be rotated to extend over the higher spacer portion to prevent travel of the lever and effectively lock the valve in a closed position. If required the collar may include a corresponding projection diametrically opposite to prevent the lever being pivoted in the opposite direction when the lever is in the "locked" position.
Figs 5 to 7 show an embodiment of a valve assembly 10" according to the invention. The container 12 and valve 14 are the same as those described above with reference to Figs 2 to 4, and so are not described further.
In this embodiment nozzle assembly 90 acts as a lever, and the product is dispensed by displacing the nozzle assembly 90 laterally. The variable spacer means is a collar 92 which has a top plate 94 and a sleeve 96 which extends down from the top plate to form a flush connection with the wall of the container 12. The collar 92 includes an internal tubular wall 98 which positively engages with the rolled flange 13 which extends around the opening of the container 12.
The top plate 94 of the collar 92 has three recessed portions 100, 102, 104. The recessed portion 100 is the shallowest of the three. When the nozzle assembly 90 is operated in the direction of the shallowest recessed portion 100 the tilt valve 14 can only partially open, so that product flows from the container 12 at a slow flow rate. When the nozzle assembly 90 is operated in the direction of the middle recessed portion 102 the tilt valve 14 can open to a greater extent, so that product flows from the container 12 at a medium flow rate. When the nozzle assembly 90 is operated in the direction of the deepest recessed portion 104 the tilt valve 14 can open fully, so that product flows from the container 12 at the maximum flow rate.
Markings 106 can be provided on the collar 92 to indicate the flow rate associated with each recessed portion 100, 102, 104. The top plate 94 is provided with a flange 108 of the same diameter as the rolled flange 13 of the container 12, so that a cap 110 adapted to fit on the rolled flange 13 can also fit on the collar 92.
Modifications and improvements may be made to the foregoing without departing from the scope of the invention. In particular the recesses 100, 102, 104 of the illustrated embodiments may be replaced by cam surfaces which allow quasi-infinite adjustment of the maximum travel of the lever. The variable spacer means 92 may have shapes and forms other than those illustrated. The shape and form of the lever 18 and nozzle assembly 90 may be varied.

Claims

Valve assembly (10) for use with a dispensing apparatus, the valve assembly comprising:
a valve (14);

a nozzle assembly (90); and

a collar (92) which in use engages with a container (12) with which the valve assembly is used and surrounds the nozzle assembly (90), the collar including variable spacer means (100, 102, 104) arranged to limit the lateral travel of the nozzle assembly (90) by a variable amount according to the direction in which the nozzle assembly (90) is displaced,
wherein the variable spacer means (100, 102, 104) comprises a plurality of recessed portions (100, 102, 104) of the collar (92) of different depths, each recessed portion being adapted to contact the nozzle assembly (90) when the nozzle assembly is displaced towards said recessed portion.
Valve assembly (10) for use with a dispensing apparatus, the valve assembly comprising:
a valve (14);

a nozzle assembly (90); and

a collar (92) which in use engages with a container (12) with which the valve assembly is used and surrounds the nozzle assembly (90), the collar including variable spacer means (100, 102, 104) arranged to limit the lateral travel of the nozzle assembly (90) by a variable amount according to the direction in which the nozzle assembly (90) is displaced,
wherein the variable spacer means comprises a cam surface of the collar (92) adapted to contact the nozzle assembly (90) when the nozzle assembly (90) is displaced laterally and provide a limit of travel allowing quasi-infinite adjustment of the maximum travel, the limit of travel varying with the direction in which the nozzle assembly (90) is displaced.
Valve assembly according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the valve (14) is a tilt valve including a valve stem (30).
Valve assembly according to claim 1, 2 or 3, further including a lever, the lever being integral with the nozzle assembly (90).
Valve assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the collar (92) is adapted to press fit on the rolled flange (13) of a standard pressurised container (12).
Valve assembly according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the nozzle assembly (90) serves as a lever.
Dispensing apparatus comprising a container (12) and a valve assembly (10) according to any preceding claim.