GB2024335A

GB2024335A - Valve for a pressurised liquid dispenser container

Info

Publication number: GB2024335A
Application number: GB7921304A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: LOreal SA
Current assignee: LOreal SA
Priority date: 1978-06-27
Filing date: 1979-06-19
Publication date: 1980-01-09
Also published as: IT7953359V0; CA1106807A; FR2429950A1; FR2429950B1; JPS5511095A; BE877268A; IT7968357A0; DE2925935A1

Abstract

A dispensing valve for a pressurised container, of the type having a vapour tap has the vapour tap 118 formed at the top end of the valve chamber 110g and the valve chamber itself formed by compression moulding. The chamber has at least one pair of communicating grooves 140, 141 of which pair, one groove 140 is formed on the radially inner wall of the chamber member and the other 141 is formed on the radially outer wall of the chamber member 110g and the two grooves have their floors co-planar and overlapping to define, in the overlapping region, the orifice 118 to admit additional gas to the discharging product flow. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Valve for dispensing a pressurised liquid The present invention relates to a valve which makes it possible to dispense a liquid product packaged in a pressurised container and which has an intake for additional gas.

Our British Patent Application No.48335/78 (Serial No.2011548) filed on 13 December 1978 indicated that it was possible to reduce the flammability of a spray jet obtained from a flammable liquid composition packaged in a pressurised container by using, as the dispensing valve for the container, a valve with an intake for additional gas, into which the additional gas is injected essentially at the level of the inlet of the discharge duct of the valve outlet tube when the valve is in the open position. A valve of this type, with an intake for additional gas, had already been described in U.S. Patent 3,225,969.

In these two documents, the valve disclosed comprises a valve chamber which contains a valve piston pushed towards one end of the chamber by a spring, the piston being associated with an outlet tube comprising a discharge duct whose inlet end emerges on the side wall of the outlet tube. A gasket was provided at the upper part of the valve chamber in order to block the inlet end of the abovementioned discharge duct, and the liquid to be dispensed was fed to the chamber from the side which is opposite to that on which the piston is located, by means of a dip tube whose free end was located in the liquid present in the pressurised container with which the valve is associated.In these constructions, the chamber had at least one intake orifice for additional gas made in the side wall of the chamber along its edge which rests against the valve gasket; the sealing edge of the valve chamber is thus notched. It has been found that this structure of the valve chamber is relatively complicated to produce by moulding plastics materials, despite the simple shape of the chamber, if it is desired to comply with the fairly strict moulding tolerances.

The object of the present invention is to provide a valve of the type defined above, in which the valve chamber is easily produced by moulding plastics material and nevertheless it is possible to inject additional gas essentially at the level of the inlet of the discharge duct of the outlet tube of the valve when the said valve is in the open position.

Accordingly the present invention provides a dispensing valve for use on a pressurised container, such valve comprising: a valve chamber which contains a valve outlet tube comprising a discharge duct whose inlet end opens into the side wall of the valve outlet tube; a gasket provided at one end of the chamber in orderto blockthe inlet end of the abovementioned discharge duct in the closed condition of the valve; a spring urging said valve outlet tube of said chamber through the said gasket; and at least one intake orifice for admitting additional gas to the chamber, said orifice or orifices being made in the side wall of the chamber, and the chamber being fed with liquid to be dispensed from the end of the chamber which is opposite to that at which the valve outlet tube is located, wherein the part of the valve chamber which is near the gasket has at least one pair of grooves consisting of, on the one hand, a first groove which extends along one of the faces of the side wall of the valve chamber from that edge of the valve chamber which abuts the gasket, and of, on the other hand, a second groove which is staggered relative to the first and runs on the other face of the said chamber side wall, the floors of the first and second grooves of one of the same pair overlapping to constitute an intake orifice for additional gas.

In this construction, the intake orifice for additional gas into the valve chamber is not made exactly on that edge of the valve chamber which presses on the gasket, but at a very slightly lower level, this orifice being made up by communicating, in a plane located in the thickness of the wall of the valve chamber, the ends of two grooves one of which runs away from the upper edge of the valve chamber along one of the faces of the side wall of the said chamber, and the other of which runs from a lower level on the other face of the said side wall. The moulding of a valve chamber of this kind is extremely simple, and when the piece is produced by moulding plastic it is possible to comply with strict tolerances for defining the intake orifices for additional gas.A valve according to the present invention can therefore be advantageously used for carrying out the flammability- reducing process defined in our said British Patent Application No.48335/78 (Serial No. 2011548).

In a preferred embodiment, the two grooves of one and the same pair have a common mean longitudinal plane which essentially passes through the axis of the valve chamber; if the centre of the groove is taken as the point which is equidistant from the two ends of the groove then the centre of the second groove is further from that edge of the valve chamber which abuts the gasket than is the centre of the first groove; the distance between the edge of the chamber cooperating with the gasket, and that end of the first groove which is further from this edge is about 0.1 to 1 mm greater than the distance between the said edge and that end of the second groove which is closer to the said edge; the first groove is formed on the inner face of the side wall of the valve chamber and the second groove is formed on the outer face of the said wall; in the zone in which it abuts the gasket the valve chamber has an external enlargement in which the second groove is formed; the external enlargement constitutes that zone of the valve chamber in which the crimping is effected for holding the valve in the valve cup; the centre of the intake orifice for additional gas, which orifice is formed by one pair of the grooves, is located at a distance of between 0.4 and 2 mm from that edge of the valve chamber which cooperates with the gasket; that edge of the valve chamber which cooperates with the gasket is annular and flat and has a width which is less than the thickness of the external enlargement constituting one end of the valve chamber, the said ring being connected to the outer and inner faces of the side wall of the valve chamber by frusto-conical surfaces; the two grooves of one and the same pair each have a rectilinear mean longitudinal line and a trapezoidal transverse profile; those ends of the two grooves of one and the same pair which are near the corresponding intake orifice for additional gas are delimited by planes which are essentially perpendicular to the axis of the valve chamber.

In the valve according to the present invention, the valve gasket can advantageously be a ring of rub bery material, the valve outlet tube having a shoul derto abut the lower face of this ring under the action of the spring biasing the outlet tube, the inlet of the discharge duct then being isolated from the interior of the chamber by the presence of the gasket; each intake orifice for additional gas constitutes a slot the passage area of which is essentially rectangular; the valve chamber can have several additional gas intake orifices uniformly distributed about its periphery.

In a known manner, the valve according to the invention can comprise a valve chamber which is fed, by means of a dip tube, with liquid to be dispensed, the free end of the dip tube being located in the liquid present in the container on which the valve is mounted; the valve according to the invention can also comprise an internal constriction between the dip tube and the valve chamber; the outlet tube of the valve can be associated with a push-button or with a dispensing cap which has a spray nozzle making it possible to obtain a spray jet having suitable geometric dimensions; the valve can either be of the "with emergent rod" type, in which case the outlet tube is integral with the valve piston and the pushbutton fits over the said tube, or alternatively of the "without emergent rod" type, in which case the outlet tube is integral with the push-button and rests on the valve piston; on the outside, that section of the external enlargement of the valve chamber which is crimped in the central zone of the valve cup can be polygonal or circular, each groove on the outer face of the sidewall of the valve chamber allowing the passage of the additional gas despite the presence of the crimping.

In order to provide a better understanding of the subject of the invention, one embodiment thereof which is shown in the attached drawing will now be described by way of a purely illustrative and nonlimiting example.

In this drawing: FIGURE lisa cross-section of a valve according to the invention, constituting the dispensing valve for a pressurised container; FIGURE 2 shows, in perspective, the valve chamber of the valve of Figure 1; FIGURE 3 shows a partial section of the valve chamber of Figure 2, this section passing through the central radial plane of one of the intake orifices for additional gas; and FIGURE 4 shows a section along IV-IV of Figure 3.

With reference to the drawing, there will be seen a pressurised container 101 of the "aerosol can" type, containing a liquid phase surmounted by a gas phase. It is closed, at its upper part, by a valve cup 104 which is crimped on the container 101 by means of a crimping bead 105. The valve cup 104 supports a valve of the "with emergent rod" type, which is fed with liquid phase by means of the dip tube 107 and which supplies the liquid composition present in the container 101 via a push-button (not shown in the drawing).

The valve according to the invention comprises a valve chamber denoted in its entirety by numeral 110. The valve chamber 110 is essentially cylindrical in shape comprising a cylindrical central part 1 10a which is extended downwards by a cylindrical con nector 111 and upwards by a cylindrical enlargement 11 Ob . The external diameters of the cylindrical parts 111,11 ova and 1106 increase in that order; The outer face of the enlargement 1 lOb is connected to the outer face of the cylindrical part 1 10a by a frustoconical surface 110c. The valve chamber 110 comprises, at its upper part, an annular edge 110which consists of a flat ring having a width of 0.25 mm.This upper edge 11 Od is connected to the cylindrical outer face of the enlargement 7 tOb by a frusto-conical surface 1 10e, and by an annular rim 1 10f. At the level of the cylindrical outerfaces 110a and 11or, the valve chamber comprises a cylindrical inner face 110g of constant diameter The upper end of this cylindrical inner face 110g is connected to the annular edge 110d by a frusto-conical surface 110h. The thickness of the side wall of the valve chamber at right angles to the cylindrical outerface 110a is 0.6 mm and the thickness at right angles to the cylindrical outer face 1 10b of the enlargement is 1.5 mm.

The valve chamber 110 has two intake orifices 118 for additional gas, which orifices are identical and diametrically opposite one another. Each of these two orifices 118 has the shape of a rectangular opening with a height of 0.3 mm and a width of 1 mm and is produced by bringing into coincidence the planes of the floors of two grooves 140 and 141 which grooves run parallel to the axis of the valve chamber 110, symmetrically relative to one and to the same radial plane, and respectively on the inner and outer faces of the upper part of the valve chamber 110.

Each of these two grooves has a trapezoidal transverse cross-section. The groove 140 runs axially from the annular edge 11 Od over a height of 0.8 mm and with a depth of 0.8 mm, calculated from the cylindrical inner face 110g.The groove 141 runs on the outer face of the enlargement 1 Ob from the bottom (in Figure 3) over a depth of 0.7 mm, and the upper end of the groove 141 is located 0.5 mm below the plane of the annular edge 11 Od. Since the sum of the depths of the two grooves 140 and 141 is equal to the thickness of the enlargement 11 Ob, the zone between the lower end of the groove 140 and the upper end of the groove 141 does not comprise any material and constitutes an orifice 118.

The enlargement 11 or of the valve chamber 110 is used for fixing the valve in the central zone of the valve cup 104 by crimping; this crimping does not prevent the passage of the gas present in the container 101 because of the fact that it is only effected at certain points spaced around the enlargement 110v.

A constrictor 112, constituting an internal restriction and having an external diameter of 1.4 mm, has been arranged where the connector 111 is connected to the cylindrical part 11 Oa. Inside the valve chamber 110 is a helical spring 113 which biases upwardly the valve outlet tube 114. The valve outlet tube therefore comprises a shoulder 115 against which the spring 113 abuts and above which the discharge channel 1 16a, 1 16b of the outlet tube 114 emerges. This discharge channel comprises two parts; the first 11 6a extends axially and the second 116b extends radially. The discharge channel 116a,116b has a diameter of 0.60 mm. The radial inlet part 11 6b of the discharge channel opens to the exterior of the outlet tube 114 just above the shoulder 115.

An annular gasket 117 made of rubbery material rests on the upper edge 110d of the chamber 110.

When the shoulder 115 is pushed by the spring 113 against the lower face of the ring gasket 117, the radial inlet 11 6b is concealed in the thickness of the annular gasket, with the result that the discharge channel part 116b of the valve outlet tube 114 is isolated from the interior of the pressurised container.

When the user presses the valve outlet tube 114 by means of the push-button (not shown), the compression of the spring 113 brings the inlet 11 6b below the level of the lower face of the ring gasket 117, essentially to the level of the two additional gas intake orifices 118 of the valve chamber 110; the valve then opens to discharge, on the one hand the liquid flow supplied by the dip tube 107, and on the other hand the "additional gas" flow supplied by the orifices 118.

There has thus been produced, a valve with an intake for additional gas and in which each intake for additional gas is located essentially at the level of the inlet of the discharge duct 11 6b of the outlet tube 114 when the valve is in the open position. It is found that a valve of this kind makes it possible satisfactorily to carry out the flammability-reducing process described in our said British Patent Application No.

48335/78.

Claims

1. A dispensing valve for use on a pressurised container, such valve comprising: a valve chamber which contains a valve outlet tube comprising a discharge duct whose inlet end opens into the side wall of the valve outlet tube; a gasket provided at one end of the chamber in order to blockthe inlet end of the abovementioned discharge duct in the closed condition of the valve; a spring urging said valve outlet tube out of said chamber through said gasket; and at least one intake orifice for admitting additional gas to the chamber, said orifice or orifices being made in the side wall of the chamber, and the chamber being fed with liquid to be dispensed from the end of the chamber which is opposite to that at which the valve outlet tube is located, wherein the part of the valve chamber which is near the gasket has at least one pair of grooves consisting of, on the one hand, a first groove which extends along one of the faces of the sidewall of the valve chamber from that edge of the valve chamber which abuts the gasket, and of, on the other hand, a second groove which is staggered relative to the first and runs on the other face of the said chamber side wall, the floors of the first and second grooves of one and the same pair overlapping to constitute an intake orifice for additional gas.

2. A valve according to claim 1, wherein the two grooves of one of the same pair have a common mean longitudinal plane which passes substantially through the axis of the valve chamber.

3. A valve according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which the centre of the second groove is further from that edge of the valve chamber which abuts on the gasket than is the centre of the first groove, where the centre of the groove is taken as the point which is equidistant from the two ends of the groove in question.

4. A valve according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the distance between the edge of the chamber abutting the gasket and that end of the first groove which is further from this edge is about 0.1 mm to 1 mm greater than the distance existing between the said edge and that end of the second groove which is closer to the said edge.

5. A valve according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the first groove is formed on the radially inner face of the side wall of the valve chamber and the second groove is made on the radially outer face of the said wall.

6. A valve according to claim 5, wherein the valve chamber has, in the zone in which it abuts the gasket, an external enlargement in which the second groove is formed.

7. A valve according to claim 6, wherein the said external enlargement constitutes that zone of the valve chamber in which the crimping is effected for holding the valve in the valve cup.

8. A valve according to claim 6, wherein the edge of the valve chamber which abuts the gasket is annular and flat and has a width less than the thickness of the external enlargement constituting one end of the valve chamber, and the said annular edge is connected to the outer and inner faces of the side wall of the valve chamber by frusto-conical surfaces.

9. A valve according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the centre of the intake orifice for additional gas is located at a distance of between 0.4 and 2 mm from that edge of the valve chamber which abuts the gasket.

10. A valve according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the two grooves of one and the same pair each have a rectilinear mean longitudinal line and a trapezoidal transverse profile.

11. A dispensing valve for use on a pressurised dispenser, such valve being substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.