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
  • B65D83/44—Valves specially adapted therefor; Regulating devices
  • B65D83/52—Valves specially adapted therefor; Regulating devices for metering
  • B65D83/54—Metering valves ; Metering valve assemblies
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
  • B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
  • B05B12/00—Arrangements for controlling delivery; Arrangements for controlling the spray area
  • B05B12/02—Arrangements for controlling delivery; Arrangements for controlling the spray area for controlling time, or sequence, of delivery

Definitions

• Dosing valve and fluid dispenser device comprising such a valve
• the present invention relates to a metering valve and a fluid dispenser device comprising such a valve.
• metering valves in which each actuation of the valve, a precise dose of fluid is dispensed, are well known in the state of the art, and are generally assembled on a reservoir containing the fluid and a propellant used to achieve the expulsion of the dose.
• the so-called retention valves comprise a valve which, in the rest position, partially closes the metering chamber. More specifically, the outside of the valve cooperates sealingly with the chamber seal of the metering chamber, so that the metering chamber is connected to the reservoir, in this rest position, only via the internal channel of the valve.
• filling the reservoir with the fluid to be dispensed is usually done after assembly of the metering valve on the reservoir, through said metering valve.
• An important parameter for a metering valve is the share of fine particles distributed at each actuation. Indeed, these fine particles are particularly effective from a therapeutic point of view.
• Another important parameter is the filling time of the tank through the metering valve, which must not be too long to slow down the manufacturing process.
• the present invention aims to provide a metering valve that does not reproduce the aforementioned drawbacks.
• the present invention thus aims to provide a metering valve that optimizes the portion of the fine particles distributed at each actuation, while ensuring an acceptable filling rate through said valve.
• the present invention is intended in particular to provide a metering valve that is simple and inexpensive to manufacture and assemble, and reliable operation.
• the subject of the present invention is therefore a metering valve for fluid dispensing, comprising a valve body containing a metering chamber, a valve sliding axially in said valve body between a rest position and a dispensing position, for selectively dispensing the contents of said metering chamber, said valve being biased towards its rest position by a spring cooperating on the one hand with said valve body and on the other hand with said valve, said valve comprising a central axial channel provided with a axial outlet port and a radial inlet channel which is disposed in said metering chamber when said valve is in the dispensing position, said radial inlet channel having, in the dispensing direction of the fluid product, an opening of an inlet and an outlet opening opening into said central axial channel, the diameter of said radial inlet channel being between 0.30 and 0.40 mm, advantageously approximately 0.35 mm, the diameter of said outlet opening being equal to the diameter of said radial inlet channel and the diameter of said inlet opening being greater than the diameter of said
• said radial inlet channel is cylindrical over a major part of its length from said outlet opening.
• the diameter of said inlet opening is between 0.6 and 0.8 mm, advantageously about 0.7 mm.
• the radial depth of said inlet opening is about 0.2 mm.
• the present invention also relates to a fluid dispensing device comprising a metering valve as defined above fixed on a reservoir.
• FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of a dispensing valve in the rest position of the valve, in the right storage position of the valve,
• FIG. 2 is a view similar to that of FIG. 1, in the position of actuation of the valve
• FIG. 3 is a detail view in vertical section of the valve valve of FIGS. 1 and 2,
• FIG. 4 is a detail view in horizontal section along the sectional plane A-A of FIG. 3,
• FIG. 5 is a graph illustrating the amounts of fine particles expelled as a function of the diameter of the lateral hole of the valve
• Fig. 6 is a graph illustrating the filling times of the reservoir through the valve as a function of the diameter of the lateral hole of the valve.
• the metering valve shown in Figure 1 comprises a valve body 10 extending along a longitudinal central axis. Inside said valve body 10, a valve 30 slides between a rest position, which is that shown in Figure 1, and a dispensing position, shown in Figure 2, in which the valve 30 is depressed at inside the valve body 10.
• This valve is intended to be assembled on a reservoir 1 (of which only the neck is shown schematically in FIG. 1), preferably by means of a fastening element 5, which may be a crimp, screw or to snap, and advantageously with the interposition of a neck seal 6.
• a ring 4 may be assembled around the valve body 10, in particular to reduce the dead volume in the inverted position and to limit the contact of the fluid with the neck seal 6.
• This ring 4 may be of any shape, and The example of Figure 1 is not limiting.
• the tank 1 contains the fluid product and the propellant gas, in particular a formulation consisting of one or more active principle (s) active (s) in suspension and / or in solution in a liquefied propellant gas, as well as possibly excipients.
• the valve 30 is biased towards its rest position by a spring 8, which is arranged in the valve body 10 and which cooperates on the one hand with this valve body 10, and on the other hand with the valve 30, preferably with a radial collar 320 of the valve 30.
• a metering chamber 20 is defined inside the valve body 10, said valve 30 sliding inside said metering chamber 20 to allow the distribution of the contents of the latter. when the valve is actuated.
• the metering chamber 20 is preferably defined between two annular seals, a valve seal 21 and a chamber seal 22, as is well known.
• the valve body 10 comprises a cylindrical portion 15 in which the spring 8 is disposed and in which the collar 320 slides between its resting and dispensing positions.
• this cylindrical portion 15 is the lower portion of the valve body.
• This cylindrical portion 15 has one or more longitudinal openings 1 1, such as slots, extending laterally in said cylindrical portion 15 of the valve body, over a portion of the axial height of the valve body in the direction of the axis. central longitudinal. These openings 1 1 allow the filling of the metering chamber 20 after each actuation, when in the inverted position of use (with the valve disposed under the reservoir), the valve 30 returns from its dispensing position to its rest position.
• Figure 1 shows the valve in the upright storage position, i.e. the position in which the metering chamber 20 is disposed above the reservoir.
• the valve 30 includes a central axial channel 35 provided with an axial outlet port 301 and a radial inlet channel 302 which is disposed in the metering chamber 20 when the valve 30 is in the dispensing position.
• This radial inlet channel 302 comprises, in the dispensing direction of the fluid product, an inlet opening 3021 and an outlet opening 3022, the latter opening into said central axial channel 35.
• FIG. 5 demonstrates that the smaller the diameter of the radial inlet channel 302, the greater will be the share of fine particles distributed through the outlet opening 3022 of the valve 30.
• Figure 5 also shows that above 0.40 mm, the change in diameter has no impact on the fine particles.
• the test of FIG. 5 consisted of evaluating the Aerodynamic Particle Size Distribution (APSD) from a metering valve. This test was carried out with a specific equipment called pharmaceutical impinger, and more precisely the NGI ("Next Generation Impactor", described in the pharmacopoeia under the name of apparatus E). The tests were carried out at a rate of 30 liters per minute.
• the graph in Figure 5 shows the sum of the fine particles entering the impactor. It is observed that the smaller the diameter of the radial inlet channel 302, the more efficient the valve is in terms of the size of the particles expelled during a spray.
• the values shown in the graph in Figure 5 are particle amounts fine, ie of so-called "small" size. In the context of the test of FIG. 5, these are particles whose aerodynamic diameter is less than 6.4 ⁇ . It is particularly interesting that this value is the greatest possible, because the fine particles of adequate size are particularly effective from a therapeutic point of view.
• the tests were carried out with a formulation containing a high percentage of ethanol (15% w / w), an excipient, an active ingredient (salbutamol sulfate) and HFA 134a as a propellant.
• the tanks tested were all filled with the same formulation,
• FIG. 6 is a graph showing filling times according to the diameter of the radial inlet channel 302.
• the time indicated is the filling time only, and does not take into account the entire cycle (setting up the reservoir in the machine , lowering of the filling head, etc.).
• the purple line represents the typical time for a standard valve, from which it is desirable not to go too far.
• the diameter of the radial inlet channel 302 is between 0.30 and 0.40 mm, advantageously about 0.35 mm. This makes it possible to optimize the rate of distributed fine particles, without unacceptably slowing down the filling time of the tank. The therapeutic efficacy of the distributed fluid product is therefore improved.
• the radial inlet channel 302 is cylindrical over a major portion of its length from said outlet opening 3022 to said inlet opening 3021.
• the diameter of said outlet opening 3022 is equal to the diameter of said radial inlet channel 302 while the diameter of said inlet opening 3021 is greater than the diameter of said radial inlet channel 302, in particular between 0.6 and 0.8 mm, advantageously about 0.7 mm, while the radial depth of said inlet opening 3021 is preferably about 0.2 mm.
• This implementation is advantageous during molding in order to reduce the length of the small diameter spindle in order to produce radial inlet channel 302, which is fragile.
• this implementation makes it possible not to have such a fragile pin tangent to the outer circular edge of the valve. This further strengthens the robustness of the molding means and thus improves the manufacturing reliability of the valve.
• the valve 30 can be made in two parts, namely an upper part 31 (also called high valve) and a lower part 32 (also called bottom valve).
• the upper part 31 comprises said central axial channel 35, said axial outlet orifice 301 and said radial inlet channel 302.
• the lower part 32 is assembled inside the upper part 31.
• An internal channel 33 is provided in the valve 30, in particular in the lower part 32, which makes it possible to connect the metering chamber 20 to the reservoir 1, to fill said metering chamber 20 when, after each actuation of the valve, the valve 30 returns to its rest position under the effect of the spring 8. This filling is done when the device is still in the inverted position of use, with the valve disposed below the tank 1.
• valve 30 when the valve 30 is in the rest position, the metering chamber 20, outside the valve 30, is substantially isolated from the tank 1 by the cooperation between the lower part 32 of the valve 30 and the chamber seal 22. In this rest position, the metering chamber 20 remains connected to the reservoir 1 only via said inner channel 33.
• the valve shown in Figures 1 and 2 is a retention valve. The invention is, however, also applicable to other types of valves, including ACT type valves.

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)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=59253766

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (6)

Family Cites Families (48)

• 2017
  • 2017-05-05 FR FR1754009A patent/FR3065891B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2018
  • 2018-05-04 WO PCT/FR2018/051119 patent/WO2018203013A1/fr unknown
  • 2018-05-04 CN CN201880029759.9A patent/CN110603207A/zh active Pending
  • 2018-05-04 EP EP18735630.8A patent/EP3634883B1/de active Active
  • 2018-05-04 US US16/610,749 patent/US10968033B2/en active Active
  • 2018-05-04 JP JP2019560091A patent/JP7178364B2/ja active Active

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events