GB2109870A

GB2109870A - Apparatus for drawing pasty media from containers filled with a propellent gas

Info

Publication number: GB2109870A
Application number: GB08233573A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Hans Peter Lilienthal
Original assignee: Lindal Aerosol Tech GmbH
Current assignee: Lindal Aerosol Tech GmbH
Priority date: 1981-11-26
Filing date: 1982-11-24
Publication date: 1983-06-08
Also published as: IT8224396A1; FR2516899A1; IT1153665B; IT8224396A0; DE8134427U1

Abstract

An apparatus for drawing pasty media from a container filled with propellent gas, having arranged therein a separate flexible container 4 containing the pasty medium, with a closure member 10a sealingly accommodated in a lid of the container and having an axially directed circular sealing seat 13a, and a closure part 8 lying in close contact against the sealing seat under a bias and being lifted off the sealing seat through a lateral finger pressure exerted against a tubular orifice portion 12, wherein the sealing seat (13a) is arranged at the tubular orifice portion (12) which is formed integrally with the closure member (10) and is designed to be capable of tilting movement with respect to said closure member via a resilient connection (15), especially through a weakening of material (16a), and the closure part (6) is designed to be resiliently elastic and is clamped radially against the closure member (10) from outside having a sealing surface (8) lying in close contact under a bias against the sealing seat (13a). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Apparatus for drawing pasty media from containers filled with a propellant gas The invention relates to an apparatus for drawing pasty media from a container filled with a propellant gas having arranged therein a separate flexible container containing the pasty medium, with a closure member accommodated in a lid of the container in tight sealing engagement and having an axially directed circular sealing seat, and with a closure part disposed in close contact against the sealing seat under a bias and being lifted from the sealing seat by a lateral finger pressure exerted against a tubular orifice portion.

So-called aerosol containers for dispensing liquid media with the aid of gaseous propellants such as propane, butane, carbon dioxide etc., are one-chamber containers. The solution or admixture of the effective substance with the propellant which is predominantly present in a liquid condition mostly is innoxious or even desired so as to obtain an especially finely particulated aerosol. Such one-chamber containers and the drawing valves thereof, respectively, which serve this purpose are, however, not suited for dispensing pasty media in an uninterrupted uniform flow. The propellant penetrates the pasty medium causing the formation of bubbles of greater or lesser dimensions which bubbles interrupt the dispensing of the medium when they reach the dispensing area.

For the reasons as mentioned above, therefore, with known packaging containers the pasty media are either dispensed by manually operated drawing devices provided with pistons or are packaged in double chamber containers provided with drawing or tapping valves with the pasty medium being placed in a flexible container inside a pressure-tight container which for its part is filled with a propellant gas. A packaging container built up according to the double chamber principle of the type mentioned at the beginning is known from the German disclosure letter 17 86 5d4. The closure member consists of rubber, is provided with a radial flange by which it is clamped tightly in the lid of the outer container and has an axial passageway with the closure part extended therethrough which closure part is formed at the same time as an orifice member.

Two flanges are provided at the closure part which are axially spaced from each other and which press the closure members axially together from opposite ends in order to press the sealing seat of the closure member which faces the interior of the container against the facing radial flange of the closure part. Radial openings above the flange lead into an annular chamber which surrounds the closure part. When laterally tilted by finger pressure the radial bores will get into communication with the interior of the container.

The known drawing device suffers from disadvantages in several respects. If, for example, foodstuffs are packaged, the closure member consisting of rubber is required to have a special quality, otherwise undesired reactions would be the result. Packaging of oil-containing products is not possible or is possible only for short periods of time because the oil will diffuse into the closure member and will decompose it so that the sealing effect will be abolished relatively quickly. What is furthermore disadvantageous is the costly mounting of the known device. The ram-like closure part must be forced through the bore of the closure member under considerable radial deformation of said closure member with the closure member at the same time being submitted to an axial tension.Another disadvantage consists in that a sealing must take place not only between the sealing seat and the closure part but also between the tubular portion of the closure part inside the passage bore of the closure member. As the closure part usually is injection-molded from synthetic material, there will result an axially extending seam or an axially extending bead on the periphery of the closure part portion inside the bore considerably impairing the sealing effect.

Finally, when making the closure member of rubber the formation of a bead can hardly be avoided, so that a corresponding afterworking of the closure member will become necessary. It is therefore the object of the invention to provide a device for drawing the pasty medium from the inner container of a double-chamber container in which an outer container is filled with a propellant gas and an inner container is filled with a pasty medium said device consisting of few individual components which may be easily manufactured and easily mounted, and making possible reliable handling while being suited for use with any products.

According to the invention this problem is solved in that the sealing seat is arranged at the tubular orifice portion which is formed integrally with the closure member and is designed to be capable of being tilted against the latter via a resilient connection, especially through a weakening of the material, and the closure part is designed to be resiliently elastic and is clamped radially against the closure member from outside and has a sealing surface biased to come to lie in close contact against the sealing seat.

With the drawing device according to the invention merely two parts are provided which may be manufactured as simple injection-molded components of synthetic material. The closure member is formed in one piece with the orifice portion which is capable of being tilted relatively to the closure member adapted to be clamped tightly by a resilient connection, so as to be able to selectively get into engagement, and out of engagement with the sealing surface of the closure part. Mounting of the two components is relatively simple already for the reason that they are arranged one above the other so that a costly mounting by plugging them into each other or puiling through as is the case with the known drawing devices described at the beginning is eliminated.

According to one embodiment of the invention provision is made for the closure part to be designed as a leaf spring. As for reasons of manufacture and sealing tightness a universal clamping-in of the closure part is desirable, provision is made in another embodiment of the invention for the leaf spring to be provided with a tongue formed at an annular element clamped in at the periphery below the closure member. The tongue may be formed, for example, by a Ushaped incision into a plate formed of resilient material. Upon a tilting movement of the sealing seat with respect to the tongue the bore in the orifice member will get into communication with the interior of the flexible container so that the pasty medium may exit.

As an alternative to the above, provision may be made in accordance with another embodiment of the invention for the tongue to project radially inwards from an annular element being tied laterally to said annular element with the aid of at least one web. Upon a tilting movement by finger pressure the tongue is bent downwards with the sealing seat being in part released. The lateral web enhances the spring effect of the tongue making sure that upon completion of the tilting movement the tongue is tightly pressed anew against the sealing seat.

It may be imagined indeed to separately clamp in the closure member on the one hand and the closure part on the other hand in the upper region of the container. Provision is made, however, in an especially advantageous further embodiment for the closure part, the closure member and the upper edge of the flexible container to be clamped in common against the container edge with the aid of the lid. Preferably, an axial flange is formed at the closure part pointing into the interior of the container and coming to lie laterally in close contact against the flexible container. The clamping of the lid through contact pressure by pressing it against a corresponding crimped edge of the outer container thus sealingly pressing the said components together takes place in a manner known per se by deformation through rolling of the lid normally consisting of sheet metal material.

According to another embodiment of the invention the closure member is shaped in the form of a jar. It is preferably form-ciosedly accommodated by the lid so that a sealing will be formed between the outer surface of the closure member and the lid without any additional sealing members having to be interposed.

It may indeed by imagined to select the closure member as a whole to be of a thickness such that the orifice portion is articulated to be capable of a sufficient degree of movement. To be preferred, however, is an articulation of the orifice portion such that the remaining region of the closure member will not be deformed, too, when the orifice portion is tilted for drawing purposes.

Therefore, a weakening of the material in the region of the connection of the orifice portion is to be looked upon as being a more advantageous solution. Another embodiment of the invention makes provision in this respect for the weakening of the material to be constituted by a groove formed in the closure member from one side or from both sides to extend around the tubular orifice portion. The lid is provided with a central opening with the orifice portion extending therethrough. Preferably, the edge of this opening extends as far as the edge of the groove at the upper surface of the closure member.

To obtain an effective sealing provision is made in another embodiment of the invention for the sealing surface at the closure part to be formed by a curvature, a conical projection or the like. While in the position of rest part of the curvature or conical projection will engage within the channel of the orifice portion in order to centre the sealing surface with respect to the sealing seat and bring about an effective sealing. Preferably, in accordance with another embodiment of the invention, the curvature is formed as a spherical segment.

A particularly simple embodiment of the invention provides for the sealing seat to be formed integrally with a tubular extension pointing into the interior of the container said tubular extension being arranged coaxially with the orifice tube and extending axially over the point of clamping-in of the closure part into the container. The closure part is thereby constantly kept under a tension so that a constant sealing engagement is effected between the closure part and the closure member.

The closure part is preferably fitted to come to lie radially in close contact against the flange of the lid, preferably, however, being form-closedly accommodated by the lid. Thereby, the closure part is automatically centred during mounting in such a manner that the sealing surfaces of the closure part are arranged in the proper position with respect to the sealing seat of the closure member.

In the following, two examples of embodiment of the invention will be explained in more detail.

Fig. 1 shows a sectional view of the drawing device according to the invention.

Fig. 2 shows a similar sectional view as Fig. 1, however, with the orifice portion tilted.

Fig. 3 shows a top plan view taken on the closure part of the drawing device according to Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrow 3.

Fig. 4 shows a sectional view of the closure part according to Fig. 3 taken along line 4-4.

Prior to enlarging in more detail on the individual views shown in the drawings, it is stated that each of the features shown and described is of inventively essential importance by itself or in connection with features of the claims.

Figs. 1 and 2 show in part a container 1 which may selectively consist of metal, glass or synthetic material and which contains a propellant gas which is filled into the container through an opening formed in its bottom (not shown). The preferably cylindrical container is provided with a crimped edge 2 around which the marginal flange of a cup-shaped lid 3 may be formed, for example, through a suitable rolling operation, known per se. In this operation, a cupshaped closure member 10, a closure part 6 as well as the upper free edge of a flexible container 4 are clamped in tightly between the margin 2 and the lid 3. The flexible container 4 contains a pasty medium to be dispensed.

The closure member 10 is provided with a radial piate-like section 1 0a and an axially extending annular flange 11. Both sections are form-closedly accommodated in the lid 3. The latter has a central opening 1 6a with a conically upwardly extending orifice tube 12 extending therethrough said tube having a stepped throughbore 1 2a terminating in an exit opening 1 7. Formed in the plate-shaped section 1 Oa from above is an annular groove 16 to extend all around the orifice tube 12 so that the thickness of the section 1 0a is considerably reduced. The edge of the opening 1 6a extends as far as the outer edge of the groove 16. Through the groove 16 the orifice tube 12 is resiliently tied to the section 1 Oa.The weakened region which is formed by the resilient connection is referenced 1 5.

The orifice tube 1 2 continues downwards in the form of a tubular portion 13 which is arranged coaxially with respect to the orifice tube 12 and forms a sealing seat 1 3a at the exit end of the bore 1 2a, said sealing seat being formed by a tubular extension of reduced outer diameter.

The closure part 6 is fittingly inserted into the lid 3 and is provided with a ring 7 having a radial tongue 9 disposed at the inner surface thereof, said tongue being provided at 8 with an upward facing spherical curvature. The curvature 8 is centred with respect to the bore 1 2a and forms a sealing surface sealingly cooperating with the sealing seat 1 3a. For this purpose the point of clamping-in of the ring 9 is placed higher than the lower end of the tubular portion 13, so that the tongue 9 is bent downwardly such that the curvature 8 comes to lie in close contact under a bias against the sealing seat 1 3a thus bringing about an irreproachable sealing. The tongue is connected to the ring 7 via lateral webs 20 formed integrally with it and which may be relatively narrow.They are predominantly loaded on tension upon deflection of the tongue thus enhancing the spring force of the tongue 9.

Fig. 2 shows the drawing device according to Fig. 1 in the drawing position, in which with the aid of a finger, for example, the orifice tube 12 is tilted in a direction opposite to the tongue 9. For the drawing, besides, it does not make any difference from which direction the finger pressure is exerted. Thereby, the greater portion of the curvature 8 gets out of engagement with the sealing seat 1 3a and the pasty medium conditioned by the influence of the propellant gas in the container 1 on the flexible container 4 may enter into the bore 1 2a from the container 4 via the gap which is available and may leave through the exit opening 1 7 of the orifice tube 12.

If the orifice tube 1 2 is released, it will return into the vertical position by virtue of the resilient effect of its tying (Fig. 1 ) with the sealing surface of the curvature 8 being again in sealing engagement with the sealing seat 1 3a and preventing the pasty medium from further exiting.

As will be seen from Figs. 3 and 4, the ring 7 of the closure part 6 is provided with an axial flange 21 on the underside thereof the outer surface of which forms a conical sealing surface 1 8. The inner diameter of the annular conical sealing surface 21 is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the crimped edge 2 of the container 1, while the outer diameter thereof is slightly greater than the inner diameter of the crimped edge 2. When the ring 7 is being fitted, the sealing surface 18 will come to lie closely under compression pressure against the edge 2 of the container 1 under simultaneous sealing compression of the clamped-in upper edge 5 of the flexible container 4. In this manner, care is taken of an effective sealing of both containers 1, 4 in the region of the crimped edge 2.The projections 22 at the inner surface of the ring 7 serve for the forming operation and have no other meaning for the functioning of the arrangement shown. They prevent injection points being placed in regions of the closure part that serve a sealing function.

As will be readily seen from Figs. 1 to 4, the closure parts for the drawing device shown involve parts formed of plastics material which may be manufactured with very little expenditure and which may in addition be mounted in an extremely simple manner. Closure member 10, closure part 6, and lid 3 may be preassembled together on the container edge 2, fitted thereon with the free edge 5 of the flexible container 4 placed thereon and may be fastened at the container 1 with the aid of an operation of rolling in the edge of the lid. The fitting seating of the ring 7 inside the lid takes care of the automatic centreing of the sealing surface 8 relative to the sealing seat 1 3a.

The embodiments according to Figs. 1 to 4 show a one-piece design of the closure element proper (ball-shaped curvature 8) with the appertaining supporting member (tongue 9 and ring 7, respectively). It is, however, also possible instead of the one-piece curvature to insert a separate sealing part such as a rubber stopper, for example, or the like, sealingly cooperating with the sealing seat 1 3a.

The drawing device shown is actuable in any position of the container 1, even with the container kept in an oblique attitude or upside down.

Claims

1. An apparatus for drawing pasty media from a container filled with propellant gas, having arranged therein a separate flexible container containing the pasty medium, with a closure member sealingly accommodated in a lid of the container and having an axially directed circular sealing seat, and a closure part lying in close contact against the sealing seat under a bias and being lifted off the sealing seat through a lateral finger pressure exerted against a tubular orifice portion, characterized in that the sealing seat (13a) is arranged at the tubular orifice portion (12) which is formed integrally with the closure member (10) and is designed to be capable of tilting movement with respect to said closure member via a resilient connection (1 5), especially through a weakening of material (1 6a), and the closure part (6) is designed to be resiliently elastic and is clamped radially against the closure member (10) from outside having a sealing surface (8) lying in close contact under a bias against the sealing seat (1 3a).

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the closure part (6) is designed as a leaf spring.

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3. An apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the leaf spring is provided with a tongue (9) formed at a annular element (6) clamped in at the periphery below the closure member (10).

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that the tongue is tied to the annular element (6) via at least one laterally engaging web (20).

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the closure member (10), closure part (6) and upper edge (5) of the flexible container (4) are clamped in common to the container edge (2) with the aid of the lid (3), with the closure part comprising a flange (21) adjacent the periphery thereof coming to lie in close contact against the upper edge of the flexible container. and extending into the container.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the closure member (10) is designed in the form of a cup.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the weakening of material is constituted buy a groove (16) formed from one or either side into the closure member (10) to extend all around the tubular orifice portion (12).

8. An apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the sealing surface (8) at the closure part is formed by a curvature, a conical projection or the like.

9. An apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that the sealing surface (8) is formed as a preferably hollow spherical segment.

10. An apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that closure member (10) and closure part (6) are formed of elastomeric material.

11. An apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the sealing seat (1 3a) is integrally formed at a tubular extension (13) pointing into the interior of the container and arranged coaxially with respect to the orifice tube (12) while extending axially above the point of clamping-in of the closure part (6) into the container.

12. An apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the closure member (10) is form-closedly accommodated by the lid (3).

1 3. An apparatus according to claim 12, characterized in that the edge of the central opening ( 1 6a) of the lid (3) reaches as far as the groove (16).

1 4. An apparatus according to any one of the claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the closure part (6) comes to lie radially against a radial flange of the lid (3).

1 5. An apparatus for drawing pasty media from a container filled with propellant gas substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing.