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 or packages with special means for dispensing contents for delivery of liquid or semi-liquid contents by internal gaseous pressure, i.e. aerosol containers comprising propellant for a product delivered by a propellant
  • B65D83/75—Aerosol containers not provided for in groups B65D83/16 - B65D83/74
  • B65D83/753—Aerosol containers not provided for in groups B65D83/16 - B65D83/74 characterised by details or accessories associated with outlets
  • B65D83/7532—Aerosol containers not provided for in groups B65D83/16 - B65D83/74 characterised by details or accessories associated with outlets comprising alternative flow directions or replaceable or interchangeable outlets
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
  • B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
  • B05B1/00—Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means
  • B05B1/14—Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means with multiple outlet openings; with strainers in or outside the outlet opening
• • 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 or packages with special means for dispensing contents for delivery of liquid or semi-liquid contents by internal gaseous pressure, i.e. aerosol containers comprising propellant for a product delivered by a propellant
  • B65D83/16—Containers or packages with special means for dispensing contents for delivery of liquid or semi-liquid contents by internal gaseous pressure, i.e. aerosol containers comprising propellant for a product delivered by a propellant characterised by the actuating means
  • B65D83/20—Containers or packages with special means for dispensing contents for delivery of liquid or semi-liquid contents by internal gaseous pressure, i.e. aerosol containers comprising propellant for a product delivered by a propellant characterised by the actuating means operated by manual action, e.g. button-type actuator or actuator caps
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
  • B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
  • B05B1/00—Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means
  • B05B1/02—Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means designed to produce a jet, spray, or other discharge of particular shape or nature, e.g. in single drops, or having an outlet of particular shape
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
  • B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
  • B05B11/00—Single-unit hand-held apparatus in which flow of contents is produced by the muscular force of the operator at the moment of use
  • B05B11/0005—Components or details

Definitions

• the present invention relates to an aerosol spray head, an aerosol spray unit comprising the aerosol spray head and a process for spraying pressurised product.
• BACKGROUND One conventional approach to dispensing a product onto a target application surface is via atomisation of that product.
• One way of achieving atomisation is to combine the product with a propellant (compressed gas) in a pressurized unit having a dispensing valve fluidly connected to a dispensing outlet. On opening the dispensing valve, the product is forced therethrough and dispensed via the outlet in an atomized form onto the target application surface.
• the present inventors have established, however, that current atomization technology generally does not deliver a satisfactory product distribution onto the target area.
• the distribution is observed to be uneven, with, for example, increased deposition occurring in the centre and correspondingly reduced deposition towards the extremities of the target site.
• increased deposition in one area for example the centre, may additionally result in the formation of unsightly residues and unpleasant cooling in that region of the consumer's skin, due to the increased amounts of product deposited there and increased amounts propellant evaporating at that location.
• a single outlet spray head also places physical limitations on the composition which may be sprayed.
• a spray head for attachment to an aerosol container containing pressurised product
• the spray head comprising conduit means, more than one separate spray outlet and a splitting chamber for diverting the flow to the spray outlets
• the conduit means comprise inlet means for attachment to a valve stem of the aerosol spray unit and conduit outlet means which are in direct fluid communication with the splitting chamber
• the splitting chamber is in fluid communication with the spray outlets and wherein, for each spray outlet, the ratio, L1/L2, of the distance (LI) between the conduit outlet means and the spray outlet to the distance (L2) between the inlet means and the spray outlet is from 0.01 to 0.6.
• an pressurised aerosol spray unit having a spray head as defined in the first aspect of the invention.
• a portable pressurised aerosol spray unit having a spray head as defined in the first aspect of the invention.
• a process for spraying a pressurised product comprising the steps of spraying said product through a spray head according to the first aspect of the invention, such that the product has a Reynolds Number of at least 1000 as it leaves said spray outlets.
• Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a spray head according to the invention
• Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the important parts of a spray head according to the invention.
• DETAILED DESCRIPTION While the specification concludes with claims which particularly point out and distinctly claim the invention, it is believed the present invention will be better understood from the following description. All weights, measurements and concentrations herein are measured at 25°C on the composition in its entirety, unless otherwise specified.
• compositions referred to herein are weight percentages of the total composition (i.e. the sum of all components present) and all ratios are weight ratios. Unless otherwise indicated, the content of all literature sources referred to within this text are incorporated herein in full by reference. Except where specific examples of actual measured values are presented, numerical values referred to herein should be considered to be qualified by the word "about”. As has been discussed, a limitation of traditional aerosol spray head configurations is that they may produce an uneven distribution of product on the target site. In addition, the viscosity of the product to be sprayed may be practically constrained to remain below a certain level.
• the replacement of a single spray outlet by multiple outlets may assist in introducing that instability, because, for a given volume flow of product, the size of the shear interface (i.e. the total outlet perimeter size) is greater for multiple outlets than for a single outlet. Without wishing to be bound by theory, it is believed that this measure may prevent the formation of a smooth film structure just outside the outlet where the product commences its trajectory to the target site.
• a smooth film structure may propagate a relatively coarse atomization in the final stage before the product reaches the target site, with the drops at the center of the spray being larger than those near the periphery. It is in the final stage of the spray formation where an instability in the system may help disintegrate the product into ligaments and then further into drops to form a highly atomised spray and an improved drop distribution.
• changes to the separate flows may occur such that there may be differences, for example, in viscosity or other parameters, between what is sprayed from one outlet and what is sprayed from the other or others.
• the spray head (1) such that the ratio, L1/L2, for each spray outlet (3), of the distance (LI) between the conduit outlet means and the spray outlet (3) to the distance between the inlet means (5) and the spray outlet (3) is from 0.01 to 0.6, preferably from 0.015 to 0.4 and more preferably from 0.02 to 0.4.
• the conduit and/or ducts leading to the spray outlets have a non- constant cross-sectional area such that either or both of LI and L2 may vary depending on the line of measurement, then the measurements must be made along the centre line connecting the centres of the inlet means (5), the conduit outlet means and the respective spray outlet (3).
• At least one of the spray outlets has a ratio L1/L2 which is different from the other or others. In another preferred embodiment, all the spray outlets have the same ratio L1/L2.
• at least one of the spray outlets and preferably all of the spray outlets are non-circular. Employing non-circular spray outlets may additionally assist in introducing early instability into the flow, thereby improving distribution at the target site.
• the term "circle” means a closed plane curve every point of which is equidistant from a fixed point within the curve and the word "circular" shall be interpreted accordingly.
• the spray outlets (3) may have any non-circular shape, but advantageously have a cross-sectional shape selected from the group consisting of polygonal, semi-circular, crescent, stellate and mixtures thereof. If polygonal, then each polygonal cross-sectional shape may advantageously be selected from the group consisting of polygons having from three to ten sides. Preferably, the polygons are selected from the group consisting of triangular, rectangular, pentagonal, hexagonal and mixtures thereof.
• the spray head (1) according to the invention may have any number of spray outlets (3) above two, but preferably has from 2 to 36 and more preferably from 3 to 12 spray outlets (3).
• an aerosol spray unit (10) comprising a pressurised product to be dispensed and having a spray head (1) according to the first aspect of the invention.
• spray unit means a pressurised aerosol canister, comprising a valve, the valve stem of which extends from the canister, typically at the top.
• canisters typically have a volume up to 1000ml, though more typically below 200ml and are typically pressurised at 103kPa to 552 kPa (15 to 80psi), more typically less than 414 kPa (60psi).
• the term "product" means all components of the composition or mixture contained within the spray unit, including all active agents, all carrier materials and all propellant.
• the product to be dispensed is a cosmetic product, more preferably it is selected from the group consisting of antiperspirants, deodorants and mixtures thereof.
• the product to be dispensed is an antiperspirant, then it may comprise antiperspirant active particulates and a carrier such that the antiperspirant active particulates are not soluble in the carrier.
• the antiperspirant active may be solubilised in the carrier.
• a portable aerosol spray unit (10) comprising a pressurised product to be dispensed and a spray head (1) according to the first aspect of the invention.
• the term "portable" used in relation to an aerosol spray unit means that it may readily be transported in one hand by a single adult person of ordinary strength.
• a process for spraying a pressurised product comprising the steps of spraying said product through a spray head having at least two separate spray outlets (3), wherein at least one of the spray outlets (3) has a non-circular cross-section, such that the product has a Reynolds Number of at least 3000 as it leaves said spray outlets (3).

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)
• Cosmetics (AREA)
• Nozzles (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

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Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

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• 2005
  • 2005-03-28 EP EP05729960A patent/EP1732698A2/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2005-03-28 WO PCT/US2005/010459 patent/WO2005095000A2/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2005-03-28 CA CA2560405A patent/CA2560405C/en active Active
  • 2005-03-28 CN CNA2005800090401A patent/CN1933912A/zh active Pending

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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