EP2832661B1 - Valve support for a pressurised aerosol container comprising a plastics valve cup - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to an aerosol container, on whose container opening a valve disk is tightly fastened with a dispensing valve, wherein the valve disk consists of plastic and has a plate surface with a plunger opening for a valve element of the dispensing valve.

An aerosol container with the described features is made DE 38 07 156 A1 known. The valve plate and the valve housing of the dispensing valve are integrally molded from plastic. The aerosol container is also made of plastic and is welded to the valve plate.

Aerosol containers made of metal, in particular of tinplate or aluminum, are widespread in practice. The valve disk is produced as a stamped / bent part made of tinplate or a sheet made of an aluminum alloy and connected by sheet metal forming form-fitting with the aerosol container. The disk surface of the valve disk is formed as a dome, which forms a receiving space for the valve housing of the dispensing valve. The valve housing, a valve element with a stem and a seal are inserted into the dome and fixed by crimping inside the dome. This creates a positive connection between the valve housing and the valve disk by crimping. An aerosol container with a metallic valve disk and a dispensing valve attached thereto by crimping is for example out DE 20 38 580 A and FR 2 925 032 A known.

Incidentally, aerosol containers with dispensing valves are known from US Pat WO 87/05279 A1 and the US 55 73 043 known.

Aerosol containers are produced in practice in labor-sharing processes, the container, the valve plate and the dispensing valve are often manufactured by different companies. The valve housing of the dispensing valves have mostly similar and sometimes standardized dimensions. They usually have a head with a front-side seal, which can be inserted into a receiving space formed as a dome of the valve disk.

Against this background, the invention has the object, an aerosol container with the features described above in such a way that the existing plastic valve plate can be equipped with a separately produced dispensing valve. In addition, the valve disk should optionally be connectable to a metallic aerosol container or an aerosol container made of plastic. Both the connection of the valve disk with the aerosol container and the loading of the valve disk with a dispensing valve should be easy to assemble.

This object is achieved by an aerosol container having the features of patent claim 1.

The valve plate of the aerosol container is made of plastic and has a plate surface with a plunger opening for a valve element of the dispensing valve. According to the invention a dimensionally stable extension is formed on the underside of the plate surface, which has a receiving space for a valve housing of the dispensing valve. The valve housing is located in the receiving space on a seal and is fixed in the receiving space. After its assembly, the valve housing is firmly clamped in the receiving space of the extension and presses on a seal which is arranged between the valve housing and the valve disc. The seal is, for example, a sealing ring, which on an end face the valve body can be pre-assembled. The seal may alternatively consist of a sealing component which is integrally formed on the valve disc. The extension is claimed after the assembly of the dispensing valve essentially only to train. The extension can therefore be formed with a relatively small wall thickness. The valve housing is guided laterally within the receiving space of the formed on the underside of the plate surface extension and has at least one housing portion which abuts at its periphery on an inner surface of the receiving space.

The attachment of the valve housing within the receiving space of the extension can be done in various ways. Hereinafter, advantageous embodiments and examples will be described.

The valve housing is preferably insertable as a plug-in part in the receiving space of the extension and connected by at least one separately manageable securing element with the extension. The fuse element is a separate part. The connection can be made for example by dowel pins, set screws or screws, which are attached to the jacket of the extension and act on the valve housing. The securing means may engage, for example, in holes, threaded holes or in an annular groove on the circumference of the valve housing. The mechanical connection can be designed either as a detachable or non-detachable connection.

According to the invention, the extension and the valve housing of the dispensing valve are connected by a fork-shaped securing spring, which can be plugged on the outside of the extension, wherein the locking spring engages in the window of the extension and an axial counter surface of the valve housing behind summarizes. The circlip allows for axial positional securing of the dispensing valve and may be made of metal or plastic.

The plate surface of the valve disk preferably has stiffening ribs. The number, geometry and orientation of the stiffening ribs is chosen so that the plate surface receives sufficient dimensional stability to absorb the axial forces generated by the pressure within the aerosol container and occur both during assembly of the dispensing valve and during filling of the aerosol container can. The stiffening ribs may in particular be aligned radially to the plunger opening.

The valve disk can be inexpensively manufactured as a plastic injection molded part. It consists in particular of a fiber-reinforced plastic, but can also be made of a plastic without fiber reinforcement and used. Suitable plastics are thermoplastic polymers, in particular polyethylene terephthalate (PTE), polyamides (PA), polyethylenes (PE), polypropylenes (PP) and polybutylene terephthalate (PBT). When using a multi-component injection molding technique, the valve plate may have molded gasket components, which consist for example of a thermoplastic elastomer, silicone rubber or rubber.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the plate surface is curved outwardly. The shaping of the plate surface according to the invention contributes to the fact that the valve disk can be produced with a low use of material.

The valve disk further expediently has a collar, which rests against a container inner surface bounding the container opening and is supported axially on the container wall. Through the collar of the valve plate is inside the container opening centered. The axial support facilitates, inter alia, positioning of the valve disk in the course of the assembly process.

The aerosol container may be made of metal or plastic. In the case of a metal container this is suitably connected by sheet metal form-fitting manner with the valve disk. If the valve disk is intended for a positive connection with a metal container, the valve disk expediently has a collar with at least one radial rib, wherein the rib is beaded by the metal jacket of the container and wherein a seal is clamped between the collar and the metal jacket of the container ,

If the container is made of plastic, several possibilities for connecting the valve disk with the container come into consideration. Thus, the valve plate can be welded or glued to the plastic container. By hot forming the valve disk, a positive connection with the container edge can be generated. Furthermore, it is possible to connect the valve disk and a container made of plastic by hot caulking. For connecting the plastic plate with a preferably made of plastic container also a non-detachable screw or a plug connection using a multi-part clamping device is suitable. Constructive embodiments for connecting the valve disk to a container made of plastic or metal are explained below with reference to exemplary embodiments.

The measures according to the invention, which on the one hand relate to the connection between the valve housing and the valve disk and, on the other hand, relate to the edge-side fastening of the valve disk to the aerosol container, can be combined with one another as desired.

Fig. 1

einen Längsschnitt durch einen erfindungsgemäßen Gegenstand,

Fig. 2a bis 2c

perspektivische Darstellungen eines Ventiltellers für den in Fig. 1 dargestellten Gegenstand,

Fig. 3 bis 9

nicht erfindungsgemäße Anordnungen bestehend aus Ventilteller, Ventilelement und Ventilgehäuse mit unterschiedlich gestalteten Verbindungen zwischen dem Ventilgehäuse und dem Ventilteller,

Fig. 10 bis 21

weitere Ausgestaltungen des in Fig. 1 dargestellten Gegenstandes.

They show schematically:

Fig. 1

a longitudinal section through an article according to the invention,

Fig. 2a to 2c

perspective views of a valve disk for the in Fig. 1 represented object,

Fig. 3 to 9

Arrangements not according to the invention consisting of valve disk, valve element and valve housing with differently designed connections between the valve housing and the valve disk,

10 to 21

further embodiments of in Fig. 1 represented item.

In Fig. 1 an aerosol container 1 is shown, on whose container opening a valve plate 2 is tightly secured with a dispensing valve 3. The valve plate 2 is made of plastic and has a plate surface 4 with a plunger opening 5 for a valve element of the dispensing valve 3. On the underside of the plate surface, a dimensionally stable extension 6 is formed, which has a receiving space for a valve housing 8 of the dispensing valve 3. The valve housing 8 rests in the receiving space on a seal 10 and is mechanically fixed in the receiving space. The valve housing 8 can be inserted as a plug-in part in the extension 6 and has a housing portion 81 which rests on its circumference on an inner surface of the receiving space. In the exemplary embodiment, the housing portion 81 and the receiving space are cylindrical. However, within the scope of the invention it is also the case that the receiving space and the housing section 81 suitably inserted therein have a cross-section deviating from the cylindrical shape so that the valve housing 8 is not only axially fixed, but also rotatably secured to the valve plate 2. The extension 6 and the valve housing 8 are connected by at least one separately manageable fuse element. According to the invention, the securing element consists of a fork-shaped securing spring 7, which is attachable to the outside of the extension 6. Out Fig. 1 in conjunction with the Fig. 2a to 2c shows that the retaining spring 7 engages in the window 61 of the extension 6 and an axial mating surface 9 of the valve housing 8 behind. The securing spring 7 is formed in the embodiment as a plastic element. The connection formed by the securing spring 7 is releasable again.

According to a in Fig. 3 variant shown, the valve housing 8 has latching hooks 50 which engage in openings on the circumference of the extension 6. The latching hooks 50 are connected via a carrier to the valve housing 8. They extend outside of the valve housing 8 parallel to this and snap from the outside into the openings on the circumference of the extension 6 a.

The Fig. 4 shows a further constructive possibility for a positive connection between the valve housing 8 and the extension 6. Die in Fig. 4 shown positive connection is based on a screw. The receiving space of the extension 6 has an internal thread and the valve housing has a complementary external thread.

In the example of Fig. 5 the valve housing 8 has a conical peripheral surface and the receiving space of the extension 6 has a complementary conical peripheral surface. The peripheral surfaces are provided with toothed profiles 51 which fix the contact-contacting peripheral surfaces of the receiving space and the valve housing in a form-fitting manner.

The Fig. 6 shows a further constructive way to form-fit the valve housing 8 and the extension 6. The free end of the extension 6 has in the example of Fig. 6 a generated by hot forming profile 52 which engages around an annular shoulder 53 on the circumference of the valve housing 8 in a form-fitting manner.

The valve housing 8 can also be glued to the extension 6 or connected cohesively to the extension 6 by a weld. The Fig. 7 to 10 show advantageous embodiments of welding and adhesive joints. In the example of Fig. 7 For example, the valve housing 8 has a collar 55 which is glued to an annular end face of the extension 6 or connected by a laser weld 54. As shown in Fig. 8 For example, the valve housing 8 has a housing collar 56 which peripherally surrounds the free end of the extension 6 and is connected to the extension 6 by a peripheral laser weld seam 54. Also in Fig. 9 For example, the valve housing 8 has a housing collar 56 which peripherally surrounds the free end of the extension 6. The gap between the intermeshing parts is filled in this example by a hardened hot melt adhesive 57. In the in the Fig. 7 to 9 illustrated variants, the valve housing 8 has a conical peripheral surface and abuts a conical surface of the receiving space. By the intermeshing of a conical and a conical surface remains within the receiving space a defined sealing gap, which is filled by the seal 10. At the seal 10 are defined pressing forces.

In all embodiments, the plate surface 4 of the valve plate 2 on stiffening ribs 12, which are aligned radially to the plunger opening 5. The stiffening ribs 12 are shown in FIGS Fig. 2b and Fig. 2c arranged at the bottom of the plate surface. The stiffening ribs 12 can but also be arranged on the top of the plate surface 4 or both at the top and at the bottom of the plate surface 4. The stiffening ribs 12 give the valve disk 2 sufficient dimensional stability for receiving the container internal pressure and for absorbing axial forces which may occur during assembly of the dispensing valve 3 on the valve disk 2 and during the filling of the aerosol container in a bottling plant.

The in the Fig. 2a to 2c illustrated valve plate 2 has a collar 13 which abuts a container opening defining the container inner surface and is axially supported on the container wall. The plate surface 4 of the valve plate 2 is curved outward.

The valve disk 2 consists of a fiber-reinforced plastic. Suitable plastics are, for example, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), polyamide (PA) and polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), it being possible for the fiber content to be from 30 to 40% by weight. Depending on the requirement profile, unreinforced plastics can also be used. The valve disk 2 is preferably produced as an injection molded part.

The aerosol container 1, hereinafter also referred to as container for short, can be made of metal or plastic. This in Fig. 10 illustrated embodiment shows a container 1 made of metal, which is positively connected by sheet metal forming with the valve plate 2. The valve plate 2 has a collar 14 with two radial ribs 15, 15 ', wherein a rib 15 is beaded by the metal jacket of the container 1 and between the collar 14 and the metal jacket of the container 1, a seal 16 is clamped.

In the embodiment of Fig. 11 the container 1 is made of plastic and has a mouthpiece 17 which engages in an annular groove 18 of the valve disk 2 and rests against a seal 19 arranged in the annular groove 18. The seal 19 may be inserted as a separate sealing ring in the annular groove or consist of a sealing component which is integrally formed on the valve plate 2 or injected into the annular groove 18 prior to assembly and cured chemically, thermally or with special light. The annular groove 18 is bounded by a voltage applied to the container inner wall collar 20 of the valve plate 2 and an outer leg 21. The outer leg 21 has a profile generated by hot forming, which engages around the mouthpiece 17 of the container 1 in a form-fitting manner.

In Fig. 12 the aerosol container 1 is also made of plastic. The valve plate 2 has a collar 22 which is connected by staking with a mouthpiece 23 of the container 1 by hot staking. Between the collar 22 of the valve disc 2 and the wall surface of the container 1, a seal 24 is arranged. This seal 24 may be formed as a sealing ring. The seal 24 may in particular also consist of a thermoplastic elastomer, which has been formed on the valve disk 2, for example in a multi-component injection molding process. A design variant is in Fig. 12a shown. The seal 24 is formed here on an annular bearing surface of the valve disk.

The Fig. 13a and 13b also show a valve plate 2, which has been connected to the mouthpiece 23 of the plastic container 1 by staking. The seal 24 consists of an elastic sealing component, which is integrally formed on the valve plate 2. The valve disk 2 has stiffening ribs 12 both on the upper side and on the underside of the disk surface 4. In this case, an arrangement of annular stiffening ribs and radially aligned to the ram opening stiffening ribs is provided.

In the embodiment of Fig. 14 the valve plate 2 is connected by a laser weld 25 with the container 1 made of plastic. The laser weld 25 connects a collar 13 of the valve disk 2, which bears against a container inner surface bounding the container opening. The laser weld 25 can be produced by a radial laser welding process, in which the laser beam is guided by a mirror so that it impinges radially on the rotationally symmetrical surface of the parts to be welded. Alternatively, laser welding methods can be used in which the workpiece is rotated about its longitudinal axis. With the help of the laser welding process, a pressure-tight insoluble compound can be produced. Additional seals can be omitted. The welded connection can be produced with short cycle times. The wall of the container 1 must be laser-permeable, while the valve plate 2 consists of a laser-absorbing material. According to a in Fig. 14a illustrated design variant, the laser weld 25 is disposed on an annular end face.

In the Fig. 15 and 16 adhesive bonds between the valve plate 2 and a plastic aerosol container 1 are shown. In the example of Fig. 8 engages the container opening surrounding the edge 26 of the container 1 in an annular groove 27 of the valve disk 2, wherein the gap between the interlocking parts of a cured hot melt adhesive 28 is filled. To produce the adhesive connection, a welding auxiliary body is inserted into the annular groove 27. By inductive heating of the auxiliary welding body this is liquefied and fills the gap between the parts to be joined. The result is a permanent bond with high strength, which is heat resistant and impact resistant.

As shown in Fig. 16 the container has a container collar 29 with at least one pocket 30, wherein the pocket 30 as an annular gap can be trained. The valve disk 2 rests on the container collar 29 and has a connecting element 31 engaging in the pocket 30. The gap of the interlocking parts is filled by a cured hot melt adhesive 28. The adhesive bond is produced in the same way as described above.

The Fig. 17 and eighteen These screw connections between the valve disk 2 and the aerosol container 1. This is designed as a blow-molded plastic container and has a container collar 32 with a thread that can be designed as an internal thread 33 or external thread 34. In the embodiment of Fig. 17 the thread is an internal thread 33. The valve plate 2 is connected by a non-detachable screw with the container collar 32, wherein between the container collar 32 and the valve plate 2, a seal 35 is arranged. In the embodiment of Fig. 18 the screw connection comprises a union nut 36, which is screwed onto an external thread 34 of the container collar 32 and braces the valve disk 2 with the container collar. Between the container collar 32 and the valve plate 2, a seal 35 is also arranged here. The in the Fig. 17 and eighteen Screw connections shown are not solvable. They expediently have latching elements which block a rotational movement of the parts which can be screwed together in the opening direction.

Instead of a screw and a positive connection through a bayonet lock is possible.

The Fig. 19a shows a connector 37 using a in Fig. 19b illustrated clamping element set 38 for connecting the valve disc 2 with a plastic container. The plastic aerosol container 1 has a cylindrical container neck 39 into which a collar 40 of the valve disk 2 engages. To the valve plate 2, an outer clamping ring 41 is connected, which surrounds the container neck 39 and defines a wedge-shaped in cross-section annular space between the container neck 39 and the outer clamping ring 41. The outer clamping ring 41 is fixedly connected to the valve disk 2, for example by laser welding. Within the outer clamping ring 41, an inner clamping ring 42 is arranged, which fills the wedge-shaped annular space. In the Fig. 19b The arrangement shown must still be completed by the installation of a dispensing valve and can then be pushed onto the container neck 39. After reaching the in Fig. 19a the position can not be deducted from the container neck 39, since the inner clamping ring 42, the outer clamping ring 41 wedged with the container neck 39. When the interior of the container 1 is under pressure after a container filling, 39 forces are exerted on the valve plate 2 and the container neck. As a result of these forces, the parts 39, 41, 42 wedged against each other.

In the wedge-shaped annular space, a seal 43 is arranged, which is deformed by an axial relative movement of the two clamping rings 41, 42 and abuts against an inner surface of the outer clamping ring 41 and an outer surface of the container neck 39. Further, at least one annular seal 44 is arranged on the collar 40 of the valve disk 2, which rests against the inner surface of the container neck 39. The mutually facing surfaces of the inner clamping ring 41 and the container neck 39 finally have a profiling 45 for locking the surfaces. The connection is no longer detachable after assembly. The prevailing after filling the aerosol container in the container internal pressure amplifies the resulting clamping effect between the parts.

The valve plate can also be connected by a latching connection with the aerosol container. In the embodiment of Fig. 20 has the valve disk 2 Latching hooks 46, which surround an annular collar 47 of the container on the container inside. The locking connection on the inside of the container is inaccessible from the outside and not solvable. On the valve plate 2, an elastomeric sealing surface 48 is further formed. As shown in Fig. 21 For example, the latching hooks 46 can also be an annular mouth 47 'on the outside of the container. To secure a container outside locking connection, an unillustrated clamping ring can be used which prevents bending of the latching hook.

Claims (11)

1. An aerosol container having a valve disc (2) with a dispensing valve (3), the valve disc being tightly fastened to the opening of the container, wherein the valve disc (2) is made of plastic and has a disc face (4) with a tappet opening (5) for a valve element of the dispensing valve (3), wherein a dimensionally stable extension (6) is integrally moulded on the underside of the disc face (4) and has a receiving area for a valve housing (8) of the dispensing valve (3), the valve housing (8) in the receiving area bears against a seal (10) and the extension (6) and the valve housing (8) are connected by at least one securing element, which can be handled separately, in order to fix the valve housing (8) in the receiving space, characterised in that the extension (6) and the valve housing (8) are connected by a fork-shaped securing spring (7), which can be fitted on the outer side of the extension (6), wherein the securing spring (7) engages in a window (61) of the extension (6) and catches behind an axial counter face (9) of the valve housing (8).
2. The aerosol container according to claim 1, characterised in that the disc face (4) of the valve disc (2) has stiffening ribs (12).
3. The aerosol container according to claim 2, characterised in that the stiffening ribs (12) are oriented radially to the tappet opening (5).
4. The aerosol container according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the disc face (4) of the valve disc (2) is curved outwardly.
5. The aerosol container according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the valve disc (2) has a collar (13) which bears against a container inner surface delimiting the container opening and is supported radially on the container wall.
6. The aerosol container according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the container (1) is made of metal and is connected form-fittingly to the valve disc (2) by sheet-metal forming.
7. The aerosol container according to claim 6, characterised in that the valve disc (2) has a collar (14) with at least one radial rib (15, 15'), wherein the rib (15) is beaded over by the sheet-metal casing of the container (1), and wherein a seal (16) is clamped between the collar (14) and the sheet-metal casing of the container.
8. The aerosol container according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the container (1) is made of plastic and has a mouthpiece (17) which engages in an annular groove (18) of the valve disc (2) and bears against a seal (19) arranged in the annular groove (18), and in that the annular groove (18) is delimited by a collar (20) bearing against the container inner wall and by an outer limb (21), wherein the outer limb (21) has a profile produced by hot forming, which profile surrounds the mouthpiece (17) of the container (1) form-fittingly.
9. The aerosol container according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the container (1) is made of plastic, and in that the valve disc (2) has a collar (22) which is connected to a mouthpiece (23) of the container by staking, wherein a seal (24) is arranged between the collar (22) of the valve disc (2) and the wall surface of the container.
10. The aerosol container according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the container (1) is made of plastic and is tightly connected to the valve disc (2) by at least one laser weld seam (25) or is adhesively bonded to the valve disc (2).
11. The aerosol container according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterised in that at least one seal element is integrally moulded on the valve disc.

Images