EP4368535A1

EP4368535A1 - Refill aerosol system

Info

Publication number: EP4368535A1
Application number: EP21969919.6A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Ken Ogata; Yasutomo NAKAJIMA
Original assignee: Toyo Aerosol Industry Co Ltd
Current assignee: Toyo Aerosol Industry Co Ltd
Priority date: 2021-12-27
Filing date: 2021-12-27
Publication date: 2024-05-15
Also published as: WO2023127035A1

Abstract

To provide a simple-structured refillable aerosol system that allows for easy release of a propellant gas even from the space outside of an inner bag within a double-structure parent container, that reduces the loss of propellant during the filling, and that allows for fast and complete transfer-filling of a liquid content from the parent container to a child container. The refillable aerosol system (100) allows the child container (120) to be filled with the liquid content (F) transferred from inside of the parent container (110). The parent container (110) includes a first parent stem (112) for a liquid content storage part (115) and a second parent stem (113) for a propellant storage part (116). The liquid content storage part (115) is pressed by a pressure of a parent-container propellant (MG). The parent container (110) has a higher internal pressure than the child container (120). The child container (120) is filled with the liquid content (F) ejected through the first parent stem (112) of the parent container (110) via a child stem (122) of the child container (120) .

Description

[Technical Field]

The present invention relates to a refillable aerosol system that allows a child container to be filled with a liquid content from inside of a parent container, the parent and child containers being aerosol containers with an attached valve unit having a stem.

[Background Art]

Methods of filling one aerosol container (child container) with a liquid content transferred from another aerosol container (parent container) have conventionally been known. Patent Literature 1, for example, describes a transfer-fill method that uses actuators of aerosol containers designed for transfer-filling.
Inside of the child actuator (actuator 10) known from this Patent Literature 1 are formed a jet passage (A) with an ejection port, for ejecting the liquid content via a valve unit (aerosol valve), and a transfer-fill passage (B) with a transfer-fill port, for the refilling of the liquid content via the valve unit (aerosol valve). The child actuator includes an automatic switch-valve mechanism for the automatic switching between these jet passage (A) and transfer-fill passage (B).
To fill a child container (child canister C) with the liquid content, the child actuator (actuator 10) known from this Patent Literature 1 is fitted to the child container (child canister C), and a parent stem (stem S1) of a parent container (parent canister C1) is connected to the transfer-fill port directly or via an assist adapter (transfer-fill nozzle 43). This causes the liquid content inside of the parent container (parent canister C1) to flow into the transfer-fill passage (B). The flow of liquid content drives the automatic switch valve-mechanism to switch itself.
The child container (child canister C) is a double-structure container that is separately filled with liquid content and child-container propellant (propellant). The child-container propellant (propellant) does not escape the child container (child canister C) during the ejection of the liquid content in the child container (child canister C). The child container (child canister C) can be refilled from the parent container (parent canister C1) using a difference in pressure between the parent container (parent canister C1) and the child container (child canister C) during the refilling of the liquid content in the child container (child canister C). After refilled with the liquid content, the pressure of the propellant inside of the child container (child canister C) causes the liquid content to flow into the child actuator (actuator 10) from the child stem (stem S), driving the automatic switch valve to switch itself to open the jet passage so that the liquid content is ejected from the ejection port.
Namely, the transfer-fill method that uses the known actuator, according to Patent Literature 1 and others, uses a difference in pressure of the propellant between the parent container (parent canister C1) and the child container (child canister C) to fill the child container (child canister C) with the liquid content from the parent container (parent canister C1). At least the child container (child canister C) is configured as a double-structure container that does not allow escapement of the child-container propellant (propellant) from the child container (child canister C). Therefore, it is desirable to transfer only the liquid content from the parent container (parent canister C1) to fill the child container (child canister C).
It is also desirable to use liquefied gas rather than compressed gas as the propellant inside of the parent container (parent canister C1) in order to maintain the ejection pressure even when the liquid content inside of the parent container (parent canister C1) has diminished.

[Citation List]

[Patent Literature]

[Patent Literature 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2012-206759

[Summary of Invention]

[Technical Problem]

The transfer-fill method that uses the actuator known from Patent Literature 1 and others still has some scope of improvement.
Namely, the transfer-fill method using the known actuator according to Patent Literature 1 necessitates the preparation of a tool and the effort involved in safely discharging the liquefied gas when the parent container is to be disposed of, because there is no passage provided for discharging the liquefied gas that is stored in the parent container separately from the liquid content, and the user needs to drill a hole in the aerosol valve or container or undertake a similar process.
When filling the space outside of the content-filled inner bag within the parent container with parent-container propellant, a filling method called "under-the-cup filling method" is used, in which the parent container is filled before the valve unit is fixed to the container. The inner bag is filled with the liquid content by a method called "through-the-stem filling method" in which the liquid is introduced through the parent stem, or "through-the-valve filling method" in which the liquid is introduced from around the parent stem. The under-the-cup filling method involves a significant loss of propellant during the filling compared to the through-the-stem and through-the-valve filling methods, resulting in increased environmental burden and production costs.
The present invention solves these problems and aims at providing a simple-structured refillable aerosol system that allows for easy release of propellant gas even from the space outside of an inner bag within a double-structure parent container, that reduces the loss of propellant during the filling, and that allows for fast and complete transfer-filling of liquid content from the parent container to a child container.

[Solution to Problem]

The present invention solves the above problem by providing a refillable aerosol system including a parent container and a child container that are aerosol containers with an attached valve unit having a stem, the refillable aerosol system allowing the child container to be filled with a liquid content from inside of the parent container, the parent container including a plurality of divided storage spaces, parent stems that are the stems corresponding to the storage spaces, and the valve unit with a seal member provided for each of the parent stems to open and close the parent stems, at least one of the plurality of storage spaces being a liquid content storage part that stores the liquid content, at least one of the other of the plurality of storage spaces being a propellant storage part that stores a propellant, the parent stems including a first parent stem corresponding to the liquid content storage part and a second parent stem corresponding to the propellant storage part, the liquid content storage part being configured to be pressed by a pressure of the propellant in the propellant storage part, the parent container having an internal pressure that is at least higher than an internal pressure of the child container without the liquid content therein, wherein the child container is filled with the liquid content ejected from the parent container through the first parent stem via a child stem that is the stem of the child container.

[Advantageous Effects of Invention]

The refillable aerosol system of the invention according to claim 1 has a plurality of storage spaces, at least one of which is a liquid content storage part that stores a liquid content. At least one of the plurality of storage spaces is a propellant storage part that stores a propellant. The parent stems include a first parent stem corresponding to the liquid content storage part and a second parent stem corresponding to the propellant storage part. The system allows the liquid content and propellant to be introduced from the first parent stem and second parent stem respectively by a through-the-stem or through-the-valve filling method. Unlike the under-the-cup filling method, these approaches result in less propellant loss, thereby reducing the environmental burden caused by propellant escaping during the filling process.
In cases where compressed gas is used as the propellant in the parent container, each time the liquid content in the parent container is transferred to fill the child container, the pressure difference between the parent container and the child container after the liquid content has been completely ejected reduces gradually. In this case, the propellant can be replenished from the second parent stem to maintain the pressure difference between the parent and child containers at a sufficient level. This ensures fast and reliable transfer-filling of liquid content from the parent container to the child container.
When the parent container is to be disposed of, the propellant can be safely and easily discharged to the outside of the parent container simply by pressing down the second parent stem. There is no need to break the parent container.
In cases where a plurality of liquid content storage parts are provided, each with a corresponding first parent stem, the user can fill the child container with a plurality of types of liquid contents in a desired ratio.
According to the configuration set forth in claim 2, the parent container further includes a press-stop cover that surrounds the second parent stem. An attempt to attach the actuator to the parent container in a wrong circumferential direction will be stopped by the press-stop cover obstructing the stem fit part of the actuator and preventing it from fitting to the second parent stem. The operator who is conducting the attachment operation or the user can thus recognize that the actuator is in a wrong orientation. This prevents accidental ejection of the propellant from inside of the parent container through the second parent stem.
In cases where the transfer-fill process is carried out without using the actuator, by directly connecting the first parent stem and the child stem, the press-stop cover, which makes the first and second parent stems distinguishable, ensures a reliable connection between the first parent stem and the child stem, facilitating the transfer-filling of liquid content from the parent container to the child container.
In cases where the press-stop cover is open at the top, the propellant inside of the parent container can be easily discharged simply by pressing in the second parent stem with a driver or the like, without even removing the press-stop cover.
According to the configuration set forth in claim 3, the second parent stem has a shorter length than the first parent stem. This prevents the second parent stem from being mistaken for the first parent stem during the transfer-fill process from the parent container to the child container, and ensures a reliable connection between the first parent stem and the child stem, facilitating the transfer-filling of liquid content from the parent container to the child container.
The amount by which the actuator is pressed down to activate the first parent stem may be limited to within the difference in length between the first parent stem and the second parent stem. This design prevents the second parent stem from being pressed down when the actuator is attached to the parent container in a wrong circumferential direction, thereby preventing accidental ejection of the propellant from inside of the parent container through the second parent stem.
According to the configuration set forth in claim 4, the second parent stem is removably attached. After the propellant is introduced into the parent container during the production, the second parent stem may be removed. This prevents the child stem from being incorrectly connected to the second parent stem during the transfer-fill process, and ensures a reliable connection between the first parent stem and the child stem, facilitating the transfer-filling of liquid content from the parent container to the child container.
The second parent stem, after being removed, may be affixed to the bottom or elsewhere of the parent container, to allow the user to attach the second parent stem when discharging the propellant from the parent container.
After the parent container has been filled with gas, a portion of the second parent stem exposed from the valve unit may be broken off. This prevents the user from incorrectly connecting the child stem to the second parent stem during the transfer-fill process, and ensures a reliable connection between the first parent stem and the child stem, facilitating the transfer-filling of liquid content from the parent container to the child container.
According to the configuration set forth in claim 5, the first parent stem and the child stem are connected to be in communication with each other via an assist adapter. The assist adapter can connect the first parent stem and child stem such as to provide a seal therearound. This reliably prevents leakage of liquid content during the transfer-fill process from the parent container to the child container.
According to the configuration set forth in claim 6, the child container further includes a child actuator that fits to the child stem. The assist adapter is provided to the child actuator, and allows transfer of liquid content to fill the child container and ejection of the liquid content from the child container without removal of the child actuator.
According to the configuration set forth in claim 7, the child container has an internal pressure of 0.1 MPa or more in a state not filled with the liquid content. Even when the liquid content inside of the child container has diminished, the pressure can be maintained at a sufficient level to allow for the ejection of the liquid content.
According to the configuration set forth in claim 8, the child container is a double-structure container having a child-container inner bag that is in communication with the child stem. The child container is configured to allow the child-container inner bag to be filled with a liquid content, and includes a space filled with a propellant outside of the child-container inner bag. This design prevents the discharge of the propellant to the outside of the child container, even after the liquid content in the child container has been completely ejected.
According to the configuration set forth in claim 9, the propellant inside of the child container is composed of a compressed gas. Therefore, the pressure is high when the child container contains a large amount of liquid content, and the pressure lowers as the amount of liquid content inside of the child container reduces. The pressure difference between the parent and child containers can be maintained at a sufficient level during the process of transferring the liquid content from the parent container to the child container that is low on liquid content. Thus fast and reliable transfer-filling of liquid content is ensured.
According to the configuration set forth in claim 10, the propellant inside of the propellant storage part includes at least a liquefied gas. Even as the liquid content diminishes in the parent container, causing a relative increase in the volume of the propellant storage part, the liquefied gas vaporizes from the liquid phase part and maintains the internal pressure of the propellant storage part. The pressure difference between the parent and child containers can thus be maintained, which ensures fast and reliable transfer-filling of liquid content from the parent container to the child container.

[Brief Description of Drawings]

[Fig. 1] a cross-sectional view of a parent container 110, a child container 120, and a child actuator 130, of a refillable aerosol system 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention.
[Fig. 2] an enlarged cross-sectional view of the child container 120 with the child actuator 130 attached thereto in spraying action, of the refillable aerosol system 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention.
[Fig. 3] an enlarged cross-sectional view of the refillable aerosol system 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention at the start of and during a process of transfer-filling from the parent container 110 to the child container 120 via the child actuator 130.
[Fig. 4] an external view of the parent container 110 with a press-stop cover 117 attached thereto, of the refillable aerosol system 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention.
[Fig. 5] a top plan view of the press-stop cover 117 of the refillable aerosol system 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention.
[Fig. 6] a cross-sectional view of the press-stop cover 117 of the refillable aerosol system 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention.
[Fig. 7] a cross-sectional view of an assist adapter 140 of the refillable aerosol system 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[Description of Embodiments]

Below, a refillable aerosol system 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
The refillable aerosol system 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a parent container 110, a child container 120, and a child actuator 130, as shown in Fig. 1.
The parent container 110 is composed of a parent valve unit 111 at the top of the parent container 110, a first parent stem 112 and a second parent stem 113 mounted to the parent valve unit 111, and seal members 114 that open and close the first and second parent stems. The first parent stem 112 is connected in communication with a flexible liquid content storage part 115 inside of the parent container 110. The second parent stem 113 is connected in communication with a propellant storage part 116 that is the space within the parent container 110 but outside of the liquid content storage part 115.
The first parent stem 112 is longer than the second parent stem 113.
The liquid content storage part 115 is filled with a liquid content F. The propellant storage part 116 is filled with a parent-container propellant MG under a predetermined pressure.
The parent-container propellant MG is not limited to a particular type of gas. In this embodiment, the propellant is entirely composed of liquefied gas.
The second parent stem 113 is connected in communication with the propellant storage part 116, so that the parent container 110 can be filled with the parent-container propellant MG by a through-stem or through-valve filling method after the parent valve unit 111 has been attached. These methods enable a reduction in the amount of parent-container propellant loss due to release to the atmosphere during the filling, compared to the under-the-cup filling method in which the parent container 110 is filled with the parent-container propellant MG from the opening of the parent container 110 before the attachment of the parent valve unit 111. This can minimize production cost increase and reduce environmental burden.
These methods also allow for the filling of the parent container with the liquid content F before the introduction of the parent-container propellant MG, i.e., before the pressurization of the inside of the parent container. Thus the energy required for the introduction of the liquid content F can be reduced.
The child container 120 is composed of a child valve unit 121 at the top of the child container 120, a child stem 122 mounted to the child valve unit 121, and a seal member (not shown) that opens and closes the child stem 122. The child stem 122 is connected in communication with a flexible child-container inner bag 123 inside of the child container 120.
The child-container inner bag 123 is filled with the liquid content F. The space between the child-container inner bag 123 and the child container 120 is filled with a child-container propellant CG under a predetermined pressure.
The child-container propellant CG is not limited to a particular type of gas. In this embodiment, the propellant is entirely composed of compressed gas.
The child container 120 is filled with the child-container propellant CG from the opening of the child container 120 by the under-the-cup filling method before the child valve unit 121 is attached. If the child-container propellant CG is entirely compressed gas, the amount of child-container propellant loss due to release to the atmosphere can be reduced, as compared to the case where the propellant is liquefied gas.
The child actuator 130 has a stem fit part 133 that can fit to the child stem 122 at the bottom, and a parent stem connection part 136 connectable to the first parent stem 112 at the top. The stem fit part 133 and the parent stem connection part 136 are in communication with each other via a transfer-fill passage 132.
The child actuator 130 further includes a jet passage 131 that branches off midway from the transfer-fill passage 132. The other end of the jet passage 131 is open.
The child actuator 130 further includes a jet passage plug 134 and a transfer-fill passage plug 135 that can close the jet passage 131 and transfer-fill passage 132, respectively. Closing one of the jet passage 131 and the transfer-fill passage 132 allows the liquid content F to pass through the other, now open, passage.
Next, how the liquid content F is ejected from the child container 120 of the refillable aerosol system 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 2.
First, the jet passage plug 134 of the child actuator 130 is removed, which, as illustrated in Fig. 2, opens up the jet passage 131.
Next, the child actuator 130 is pressed down. This pushes down the child stem 122 fitted to the stem fit part 133 into the child valve unit 121, and releases the closure by the seal member (not shown) on the child stem 122.
The space outside of the child-container inner bag 123 within the child container 120 is filled with the child-container propellant CG under a predetermined pressure, so that the child-container inner bag 123 is constantly pressed by the child-container propellant CG. The release of the closure by the seal member (not shown) on the child stem 122 initiates passage of the liquid content F in the child-container inner bag 123 through the child stem 122, causing the content to be ejected through the jet passage 131 in the child actuator 130.
The transfer-fill passage plug 135 attached to the transfer-fill passage 132 prevents passage of the liquid content F being ejected from the child container 120 through the transfer-fill passage 132.
The child-container inner bag 123 shrinks by the amount of the liquid content F that was ejected and decreases in volume. The space between the child container 120 and the child-container inner bag 123 increases in volume by the amount of decrease in volume of the child-container inner bag 123.
Although the child-container propellant CG that fills the space between the child container 120 and the child-container inner bag 123 does not escape the child container 120, the pressure inside of the child container decreases gradually as the space volume between the child container 120 and the child-container inner bag 123 increases, because the child-container propellant CG is compressed gas.
Next, a transfer-fill method of the liquid content F, from the parent container 110 to the child container 120, of the refillable aerosol system according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 3.
First, the jet passage plug 134 is attached to the jet passage 131 of the child actuator 130 to block the jet passage 131. The transfer-fill passage plug 135 of the child actuator 130 is removed to release the closure of the transfer-fill passage 132.
Next, with the child stem 122 of the child container 120 fitted to the stem fit part 133 of the child actuator 130, the child container is turned upside down. With the parent stem connection part 136 of the child actuator 130 connected to the first parent stem 112 of the parent container 110, the child container 120 is pressed down.
This action causes both the first parent stem 112 and the child stem 122 to be pushed into the parent valve unit 111 and the child valve unit 121, respectively, releasing the closure by the seal member 114 on the first parent stem 112 and the closure by the seal member (not shown) on the child stem 122.
Namely, the liquid content storage part 115 and the child-container inner bag 123 are brought into communication with each other.
Since the first parent stem 112 is longer than the second parent stem 113, it is easy to visually distinguish the first parent stem 112 from the second parent stem 113.
If the difference in length between the first parent stem 112 and second parent stem 113 is longer than the amount of pressing in the first parent stem 112, the child actuator 130 does not touch the second parent stem 113 even if the child actuator is positioned thereabove. The closure on the second parent stem 113 by the seal member 114 is unlikely to be released, and unintended ejection of the parent-container propellant MG from the propellant storage part 116 to the outside of the parent container 110 is prevented.
The first parent stem 112 and second parent stem 113 can be given different colors to make them even more visually discernible. This will allow for easier visual distinction between the first parent stem 112 and second parent stem 113 not only during the transfer-fill process but also during the production process and product use.
The press-stop cover 117 covering the circumference and the top of the second parent stem 113 attached as shown in Fig. 4 allows for easy distinction between the first parent stem 112 and second parent stem 113 even if they have the same length. The cover can also reliably prevent the parent-container propellant MG from being accidentally ejected from the propellant storage part 116 out of the parent container 110 by an incorrect operation on the second parent stem 113 during the transfer-fill process of the liquid content F.
As shown in Fig. 5 and Fig. 6, the press-stop cover 117 includes: a first wall portion 124a that can fit onto the top of the parent container 110; a first top plate portion 125a that connects to the top of the first wall portion 124a; a second wall portion 124b extending upward from the first top plate portion 125a; a second top plate portion 125b that connects to the top of the second wall portion 124b; a through hole 126 provided to the second top plate portion 125b to allow passage of the first parent stem 112; a press-stop wall 127 that extends upward from the second top plate portion 125b and surrounds the second parent stem 113; a third top plate portion 125c that connects to the top of the press-stop wall 127; and a hole-like gas-release mechanism 128 provided to the third top plate portion 125c.
The inside diameter on the upper surface of the gas-release mechanism 128 is larger than the outside diameter of the second parent stem 113. The inside diameter on the lower surface of the gas-release mechanism 128 is smaller than the outside diameter of the second parent stem 113. This configuration can allow discharge of the parent-container propellant MG with a safe and simple operation when the parent container 110 is to be disposed of, for example, in which, after removing the press-stop cover 117, the parent container 110 is turned upside down, and the second parent stem 113 is pressed onto the upper surface of the gas-release mechanism 128.
The third top plate portion 125c may be configured to be openable or removable. This will allow discharge of the parent-container propellant MG by simply pushing in the second parent stem 113 with a driver or the like, without even removing the press-stop cover 117, when the parent container 110 is to be disposed of.
The second parent stem 113 may be configured as a removable female-type valve, and may be removed from the parent valve unit 111 after the filling of the parent-container propellant MG. This reliably prevents the parent-container propellant MG from being accidentally ejected from the propellant storage part 116 out of the parent container 110 during the transfer-filling of the liquid content F.
When the liquid content storage part 115 and the child-container inner bag 123 are brought into communication with each other, and when the pressure inside of the parent container 110 is higher than that in the child container 120, the pressing force of the parent-container propellant MG causes the liquid content F inside of the liquid content storage part 115 to pass through the first parent stem 112, through the transfer-fill passage 132 inside of the child actuator 130, and through the child stem 122, and to fill the child-container inner bag 123. The child-container inner bag 123 gradually increases in volume.
In this embodiment, a residual quantity reduction member 118 is mounted inside of the liquid content storage part 115, to reduce the amount of residual liquid content F.
Since the child-container propellant CG is compressed gas, the pressure inside of the child container 120 rises gradually as the child-container inner bag 123 is filled with the liquid content F. When the pressure inside of the child container 120 reaches the level of pressure inside of the parent container 110, the transfer-filling of the liquid content F from the parent container 110 to the child container 120 stops itself.
As the liquid content F transfers into and fills the child-container inner bag 123, the liquid content storage part 115 decreases in volume, while the propellant storage part 116 increases in volume. Since the parent-container propellant MG is entirely composed of liquefied gas, the pressure inside of the parent container 110 can be maintained constant by the vaporizing liquid phase part of the parent-container propellant MG.
Even when a mixture of liquefied gas and compressed gas is used as the parent-container propellant MG, the liquid phase part of the liquefied gas in the parent-container propellant MG vaporizes as the propellant storage part 116 increases in volume. Thus a drop in pressure inside of the parent container 110 can be minimized.
That is, even when the amount of the liquid content F within the parent container 110 diminishes, the difference in internal pressure between the parent container 110 and the child container 120 that needs filling can be maintained.
Adjusting the pressure of the parent-container propellant MG to the level suitable for the ejection of the liquid content F allows the internal pressure of the child container 120 after the transfer-filling of the liquid content F into the child-container inner bag 123 to be raised to the level suitable for the ejection of the liquid content F.
In cases where compressed gas is used as the parent-container propellant MG, or the liquid phase part of the liquefied gas inside of the parent container has all vaporized, the internal pressure of the parent container 110 may undergo a gradual decrease as the liquid content F inside of the parent container 110 diminishes. In this case, the parent-container propellant MG can be replenished from the second parent stem 113, so that the internal pressure can be adjusted to the level suitable for the ejection, and the transfer-fill, of the liquid content F.
Now, a test conducted to the refillable aerosol system of the present invention will be described, in which liquid content was transferred from a parent container to a child container, with the lowest pressure (internal pressure of the child container when the child-container inner bag is completely shrunk and not filled with liquid content) varied.
Table 1 shows the specifications of the parent container and child container used in this test.

[Table 1]

Table 1

	Parent Container	Child Container
Volume (ml)	590 (Parent-container full-capacity volume)	100 (Child-container full-capacity volume)
Volume (ml)	300 (Liquid content storage part)	30 (Child-container inner bag)
Liquid content	Purified water
Propellant	HFO-1234ze	Nitrogen
Internal pressure (MPa)	0.45∼0.50 (Product pressure: fixed)	0.10∼0.45 (Lowest pressure: varied by 0.05 MPa)

The test was conducted as follows: The liquid content storage part of the parent container was fully filled with liquid content (purified water), and the purified water was transferred for ten seconds from the parent container to the child container with its inner bag shrunk. The amount of liquid content that was transferred was calculated by subtracting the weight of the child container before the transfer from the weight of the child container after the transfer. After the transfer, the liquid content was ejected entirely from the child container. The cycle of the 10-second transfer-filling from the parent container to the child container, and the calculation of the amount of transferred liquid content was repeated fifteen times.
The propellant (nitrogen) in the child container had a lowest pressure ranging from 0.10 to 0.45 MPa. The amount of transferred liquid content was calculated for each case.
The propellant (HFO-1234ze) in the parent container is liquefied gas. As long as there is a liquid phase part of the propellant inside of the parent container, a predetermined pressure (product pressure of 0.45 to 0.50 MPa in this test) is maintained even when the amount of the liquid content inside of the liquid content storage part changes.
The pressures inside of the parent container and child container during the test were all measured in a 25°C environment.
Measurements were made with the above test specifications, and Table 2 shows the relationship between the number of times of transfer-fill and the amount of transferred liquid content from the parent container to the child container, obtained from the test results.
As shown in Table 2, the lower the final pressure inside of the child container, the more the amount of liquid content transferred from the parent container to the child container in one transfer-fill operation. As the lowest pressure inside of the child container becomes closer to the pressure inside of the parent container, the amount of liquid content transferred from the parent container to the child container in one transfer-fill operation decreases.
When the lowest pressure in the child container is too low, it may become difficult to maintain the desired form of ejection of the liquid content from the child container, such as a mist or jet.
It may also become difficult to eject the liquid content entirely when the liquid content has a high viscosity and the lowest pressure in the child container is too low.
Therefore, while specific values may vary depending on the characteristics of the transfer-filled liquid content and the desired form of ejection, it is preferable for the child container to be filled with propellant to reach a certain level or higher of the lowest pressure. It is also preferable for the parent container to be filled with propellant to achieve a product pressure that is sufficient to maintain a predetermined difference from the lowest pressure in the child container.
The results of the above test indicate that the difference between the product pressure inside of the parent container suitable for the transfer-filling of the content and the final pressure inside of the child container should preferably be 0.2 MPa or more, and more preferably 0.3 MPa or more.
The lowest pressure inside of the child container should preferably be 0.1 MPa or more.
The parent container may have any product pressure. A preferable pressure in consideration of safety is 1.0 MPa or less.
The pressure in the parent container and the child container can be tailored as required to allow for transfer-fill, and ejection, of the content.
After the completion of transfer-filling of the liquid content F from the parent container 110 into the child container 120, the first parent stem 112 is separated from the parent stem connection part 136, and the transfer-fill passage plug 135 is attached. The liquid content F inside of the child-container inner bag 123 of the child container 120 can then be ejected again through the jet passage 131, as shown in Fig. 2, by removing the jet passage plug 134 and pressing down the child actuator 130.
By making the full-capacity volume of the liquid content storage part 115 substantially larger than the full-capacity volume of the child-container inner bag 123, it is possible to fill the child container 120 several times with the liquid content F transferred from the parent container 110.
This refillable aerosol system 100 enables reuse of the child container 120. As compared to the use of portable and disposable aerosol products with a volume equal to that of the child container 120, the number of aerosol containers thrown away will be reduced, which can lower environmental burden.
When the liquid content F inside of the liquid content storage part 115 runs out after repeated transfer-filling and the parent container 110 is to be disposed of, the parent-container propellant MG can be discharged through the second parent stem 113 by pressing in the second parent stem 113 to release the closure provided by the seal member (not shown) on the second parent stem 113.
The parent-container propellant MG can thus be discharged safely and simply without a destructive operation such as making a hole in the parent container 110, and the parent container can be disposed of safely.
Any known compressed gas or liquefied gas conventionally used in common aerosol products may be selected as suited and used as the parent-container propellant MG of the present invention. Applicable compressed gases include, for example, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and air, and applicable liquefied gases include LPG, LNG, DME, and hydrofluoroolefins. A plurality of these compressed gases and liquefied gases may be used as a mixture.
The parent-container propellant MG should preferably contain a liquefied gas.
The use of liquefied gas provides an advantage in the transfer-fill process, as it allows the pressure inside of the parent container 110 to be maintained at a predetermined level, even as the liquid content F inside of the parent container 110 diminishes.
When using a liquefied gas as the parent-container propellant MG, in particular a less combustible liquefied gas such as, for example, hydrofluoroolefin, it allows for even safer handling.
Any known compressed gas or liquefied gas conventionally used in common aerosol products may be selected as suited and used as the child-container propellant CG of the present invention. Applicable compressed gases include, for example, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and air, and applicable liquefied gases include LPG, LNG, DME, and hydrofluoroolefins. A plurality of these compressed gases and liquefied gases may be used as a mixture.
Preferably, compressed gases, such as nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and air, should be used alone as the child-container propellant CG.
As the liquid content F inside of the child container 120 diminishes, the pressure inside of the child container 120 lowers, which is advantageous for the performance of the transfer-fill process.
It is also possible to provide two or more first parent stems to the parent container 110, and a plurality of liquid content storage parts, each connected to a corresponding first parent stem, and each containing a different liquid content. This enables the transfer-filling of different liquid contents from the parent container such as to mix within the child container in a predetermined ratio.
This allows a plurality of liquid contents, which may degrade if mixed prematurely, to be separately stored inside of the parent container, and to be mixed thoroughly inside of the child container just before use, in the required quantity and with the necessary ratio according to the user's preference.
In this case, the required amounts of the liquid contents are dispensed into and mixed inside of the child container before use. Therefore, no liquid remains to degrade within the child container, which allows for reuse of the child container.
The jet passage 131 and transfer-fill passage 132 are switched from one another for the ejection of the liquid content F and the transfer-fill, by removing and attaching the jet passage plug 134 and transfer-fill passage plug 135 of the child actuator 130. Instead of the jet passage plug 134 and transfer-fill passage plug 135, a passage switch valve may be provided at the position where the jet passage 131 and transfer-fill passage 132 branch out from one another. The passage switch valve may be configured to operate such as to close the transfer-fill passage 132 and open the jet passage 131 when ejecting the liquid content F from the child container 120 through the stem fit part 133, and to open the transfer-fill passage 132 and close the jet passage 131 when ejecting the liquid content F from the parent container 110 through the parent stem connection part 136.
Alternatively, the child actuator 130 may not have the transfer-fill passage 132, i.e., the child actuator 130 may be removed to connect the first parent stem 112 directly to the child stem 122 for the transfer-filling of the liquid content F. For example, an assist adapter 140, which has stem connection parts 143 on the upper surface and lower surface of a columnar main body 141 for connection with the first parent stem 112 and the child stem 122, with a transfer-fill passage 142 that connects the stem connection parts 143, as shown in Fig. 7, may be used for the transfer-filling of the liquid content F.
While one embodiment of the present invention has been described above in detail, the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above. Various design changes may be made without departing from the scope of the claims set forth in the claims.
While the parent container has been described as one that is for transferring a liquid content to fill the child container in the above embodiment, the specification of the parent container is not limited to this. For example, the parent container may be designed to be able to eject the liquid content by attaching a parent actuator to the first parent stem.
The child actuator may be configured such as to serve also as the parent actuator. The number of actuators can be reduced this way, which helps to minimize cost increases and environmental burden.
While the child container has been described as a double-structure container having an inner bag in the above embodiment, the specification of the child container is not limited to this. For example, the child container may have no inner bag, and the same space in the child container may be filled with the liquid content as well as the child-container propellant. In this case, a dip tube and an any-angle valve may be used in the child valve unit to allow for ejection of the liquid content alone whether the container is upright or upside down.
Although not mentioned in the embodiment above, the liquid content may be dispensed through the actuator in any form such as mist, liquid, cream, or foam. The desired form can be freely selected on the basis of the intended purpose.
While the content storage part has been described as being provided with a residual quantity reduction member in the above embodiment, the configuration of the content storage part is not limited to this. For example, the residual quantity reduction member may be omitted, and a dip tube may be provided instead of the residual quantity reduction member.
While the parent container has been described as having a press-stop cover attached on its top in the above embodiment, the specifications of the parent container and press-stop cover are not limited to this. For example, the press-stop cover may be omitted.
While the gas-release mechanism has been described as being provided to the third top plate portion of the press-stop cover in the above embodiment, the specification of the gas-release mechanism is not limited to this. For example, the gas-release mechanism may be omitted, or the gas-release mechanism may be provided to a side face of the press-stop cover. A cap that covers the top of the parent container may be attached, and the gas-release mechanism may be provided to this cap.
While the assist adapter has been described as being columnar in the above embodiment, the shape of the assist adapter is not limited to this. For example, the assist adapter may be prismatic or cylindrical.

[Reference Signs List]

100: Refillable aerosol system
110: Parent container
111: Parent valve unit
112: First parent stem
113: Second parent stem
114: Seal member
115: Liquid content storage part
116: Propellant storage part
117: Press-stop cover
118: Residual quantity reduction member
120: Child container
121: Child valve unit
122: Child stem
123: Child-container inner bag
124a: First wall portion
124b: Second wall portion
125a: First top plate portion
125b: Second top plate portion
125c: Third top plate portion
126: Through hole
127: Press-stop wall
128: Gas-release mechanism
130: Child actuator
131: Jet passage
132,: 142 Transfer-fill passage
133: Stem fit part
134: Jet passage plug
135: Transfer-fill passage plug
136: Parent stem connection part
140: Assist adapter
141: Main body
143: Stem connection part
MG: Parent-container propellant
CG: Child-container propellant
F: Liquid content

Claims

A refillable aerosol system comprising a parent container and a child container that are aerosol containers with an attached valve unit having a stem, the refillable aerosol system allowing the child container to be filled with a liquid content from inside of the parent container,
the parent container including a plurality of divided storage spaces, parent stems that are the stems corresponding to the storage spaces, and the valve unit with a seal member provided for each of the parent stems to open and close the parent stems,

at least one of the plurality of storage spaces being a liquid content storage part that stores the liquid content,

at least one of the other of the plurality of storage spaces being a propellant storage part that stores a propellant,

the parent stems including a first parent stem corresponding to the liquid content storage part and a second parent stem corresponding to the propellant storage part,

the liquid content storage part being configured to be pressed by a pressure of the propellant in the propellant storage part,

the parent container having an internal pressure that is at least higher than an internal pressure of the child container without the liquid content therein, wherein

the child container is filled with the liquid content ejected from the parent container through the first parent stem via a child stem that is the stem of the child container.
The refillable aerosol system according to claim 1,
wherein the parent container further comprises a press-stop cover that surrounds the second parent stem.
The refillable aerosol system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second parent stem has a shorter length than the first parent stem.
The refillable aerosol system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the second parent stem is removably attached.
The refillable aerosol system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the first parent stem and the child stem are connected to be in communication with each other via an assist adapter.
The refillable aerosol system according to claim 5,
wherein the child container further comprises a child actuator that fits to the child stem,
the assist adapter being provided to the child actuator.
The refillable aerosol system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the child container has an internal pressure of 0.1 MPa or more in a state not filled with the liquid content.
The refillable aerosol system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the child container is a double-structure container having a child-container inner bag that is in communication with the child stem, and wherein
the child container is configured to allow the child-container inner bag to be filled with the liquid content, and includes

a space filled with the propellant outside of the child-container inner bag.
The refillable aerosol system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the propellant inside of the child container is composed of a compressed gas.
The refillable aerosol system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the propellant inside of the propellant storage part includes at least a liquefied gas.