MXPA06009948A - Frozen aerated product in a container and a valve for dispensing such - Google Patents

Abstract

A frozen aerated product in a container is provided. The product is under a pressure of between 4 and 18 barg, and the container is provided with a valve. The valve has a flow rate of above 6 g s-1, preferably between 10 and 30 g s-1.The flow rate of the valve being the mass flow rate at which the frozen aerated product, having a temperature of -18oC, is discharged through the fully open valve to atmospheric pressure. Also provided are valves suitable for dispensing viscous products at high flow rate whilst retaining a low opening and actuation force.

Description

AERATED FROZEN PRODUCT IN A CONTAINER AND VALVE TO DISTRIBUTE THE SAME FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a frozen aerated product in a container and valves for distributing such. The present invention more particularly relates to products commonly referred to as aerosols.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The availability of aerosol creams and coronations has led to their widespread use in the manufacture of desserts and beverages. Ice cream and similar frozen aerated products are often used as alternatives to whipped creams and cakes. The lack of such a product in an aerosolized form, however, has meant that it is not possible to apply frozen products in such a controlled and convenient manner as whipped creams and therefore limits their versatility. In addition, there has long been a need to provide soft ice cream, a popular dessert outside the home, in a form where it can be distributed in the home directly from the freezer removal. Aerosol systems for distributing frozen aerated products have been proposed in the past WO Ref. 175501 03/096821 discloses such a system wherein the frozen aerated product is provided in a container, the container has at least two compartments and the frozen aerated product contains freezing point depressants in an amount between 20% and 40% w / w and have an average molecular weight number <M > n dependent on the level of fat in the frozen aerated product. - The container can be provided with a valve that has an N value (ratio of the flow rate of a Newtonian fluid and the viscosity to the pressure drop across the valve) of between 5 x 10A (-ll) m3 and 1 x 10A (-7) m3. In addition, the modalities are described with flow rates up to 4.7 gs "1 to -18 ° C. Such technology allows a frozen aerated product to be distributed from an aerosol at the temperature of a domestic freezer (-18 to -22 ° C). ) and represents a signint improvement over previous technologies It has been found, however, that there is a need for additional improvements in aerosol systems for distributing frozen aerated products In particular, the speed at which it is distributed with existing technology requires that the user keeps the valve open for a considerable length of time.Also, if the conventional aerosol valves are used then it was found that the actuation force will be undesirably high for a finger actuation.Therefore, the products can not be applied to all applications for which whipped creams and spray cannons are used. na - need for an improved aerosol system for distributing aerated products in a conventional manner a. a temperature of a domestic freezer. It has been found that it is possible to achieve such an objective by providing a frozen aerated product in a container equipped with a valve with a flow rate in a specirange. In addition, due to the careful design of the valve it has been found possible to provide valves suitable for distributing viscous products of aerosol cans at high speeds but which have low actuation and opening forces.

Tests and Definitions Pressure In the description 'barg-' means 'pressure gauge' (ie, relative to 1 atm) and the pressure is measured at a temperature of -10 ° C.

Flow Rate The flow velocity of a valve arranged to distribute a frozen aerated product from a container is defined as the mass flow rate at which the frozen aerated product, which has a temperature of -18 ° C, is discharged to through the valve completely open at atmospheric pressure. The flow rate was determined as follows. Four specimens of a frozen aerated product in a container equipped with a valve and actuator were annealed at -18 ° C for 24 hours. The actuator is designed to avoid some restriction of the product flow after leaving the valve so that any measurement of the flow rate is a true measurement of the flow through the valve alone. Each specimen was then taken from the store at -18 ° C, around 10 g of product were distributed through the valve and actuator and then the specimen was returned to the warehouse at -18 ° C. This pre-test distribution ensures that the valve and actuator are fully loaded with product while the small distributed volume ensures that the pressure in the container is reduced only by a negligible amount. The cans were stored for an additional 24 hours at -18 ° C prior to the test. For the test, one can was removed from the store at -18 ° C and the valve was immediately operated for a total of 10 s. This action is such that the valve opens to its full extent. The product distributed during this performance was collected and weighed. The flow velocity for a specimen was then calculated by dividing the mass collected by 10 s. The process was then repeated for the other three specimens. The flow velocity of the valve was admitted to be the average of the flow velocity of the four specimens and the indeterminations cited are 95% of corresponding confidence intervals.

Definition of Constriction. . A constriction is defined as a channel or orifice through which a product distributed through a valve must pass. The cross-sectional area of such constriction is the area of the channel or orifice, on a plane normal to the direction of flow of the product through constriction during distribution.

Opening Force The opening force of a valve arranged to distribute a frozen aerated product from a container is defined as the minimum force that can be applied directly to the valve to open the valve to its full extension at a speed of 100 mm min. " 1, where the frozen aerated product has a temperature of -22 ° C. The opening force was determined as follows: Four specimens of an aerated product frozen in a container equipped with a valve (but without an actuator) were tested. specimens were annealed at -22 ° C for 24 hours prior to the test.For the test, a can was removed from the warehouse at -22 ° C and immediately secured in a tray located in the environmental chamber of an Instron Universal Testing Machine ™ The tray was designed to ensure that the container is static during the test and that the valve is located so that the lowering or raising of the head of the Instron "11 opens the valve vula The environmental chamber was supplied with liquid nitrogen and kept at a constant temperature of -22 ° C. The head was designed to allow full action without restricting the flow of product out of the valve. The head moved until it was about 0.5 mm away from touching the valve stem (or other valve member arranged to open the valve in the application of a force) and the force gauge in the test machine was adjusted to zero. The head then moved at a speed of 100 mm min until the valve was opened to its full extent, the force applied was recorded every 0.1 s "1. The opening force for the specimen was admitted to be the maximum force applied during The process was then repeated for the other three specimens.The opening force of the valve was admitted to be the average of the opening force of the four specimens and the indeterminations cited are 95% of corresponding confidence intervals.

Acting Force The actuation force of an actuating member provided to a valve arranged to distribute a frozen aerated product from a container is defined as the minimum force that can be applied directly to the actuating member to open the valve to its full extent when the member moves at a speed of 100 mm min "1, where the frozen aerated product has a temperature of -22 ° C. The actuation force was determined in a manner identical to that described to determine the opening force with two First, the valves are equipped with actuators Second, the head used is a simple cylinder and rather than acting directly on the valve stem (or another valve member arranged to open the valve in the application of a force), the head moves on the actuator during the test to imitate the action of a user's finger when distributing the product.

Average Molecular Weight The average molecular weight for a mixture of freezing point depressants (fdps) is defined by the average molecular weight number < M > n (equation 1). Where w ± is the mass of the species i, M is the molar mass of the species i and N¿ is the number of moles of the species i of molar mass ¿.

Equation 1 Freezing point depressants Freezing point depressants (fdps) as defined in this invention consist of: • Monosaccharides and disaccharides. • Oligosaccharides containing from 3 to 10 units of monosaccharides linked in glycosidic bond. • Corn syrups with a dextrose equivalent (ED) greater than 20, preferably > 40 and more preferably > 60. Corn syrups are mixtures of complex multi-component sugars and the equivalent of dextrose is a common industrial classification medium. Since they are complex mixtures their average molecular weight number < M > n can be calculated from the following equation. (Journal of Food Engineering, 33 (1997) 221-226).

ED = < > n • Erythritol, arabitol, glycerol, xylitol, sorbitol, mannitol, lactitol and malitol.- Definition of Sponge • Sponge is defined by the following equation _ "_ Volume of frozen product - pre-mixed volume at room temperature n n ~ Premix volume at room temperature It was measured at atmospheric pressure. .

Definition of value R For a valve arranged to distribute a pressurized product, which is opened by the application of an opening force to one or the other of a valve stem and a first member, a parameter R is defined by. the following equation: 'R = Am / b. Where Ab is the maximum area of a cross section of the bore of the rod on a plane normal to the direction of flow of the product during distribution and Ap, is the area of an orthographic projection on a plane normal to the direction of force of opening of those solid portions, in which with the valve in a closed position the pressure of the product acts in a direction opposite to the direction of the opening force, of one or other of the valve stem and the first member to which the Opening force is applied.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION A first object of the present invention is to provide an aerated product frozen in a container, the product is under a pressure of between 4 and 18 barg, the container is provided with a valve, characterized in that the valve has a flow rate above 6 5 sl? preferably between 10 and 30 gs "1. It was found that such a system is particularly convenient for use directly from a domestic low temperature freezer, especially in applications normally reserved for crowning and whipping creams, such as beverage manufacturing and Desserts also provides a versatile way of delivering individual portions of soft ice cream in the home directly from the freezer removal Preferably, the valve comprises a constriction having a cross sectional area of less than 200 mm2, preferably less than 150 mm2 Preferably also the cross-sectional area is greater than 30 mm 2. A valve having such a constriction is advantageous when, if the flow of a product through a valve is not restricted then a mass flow rate of product is given, The linear speed at which the product is distributed will be less than that desirable for applications such as dessert and beverage manufacturing. Preferably the valve has an opening force of less than 300 N, more preferably between 20 and 200 N. Preferably also, the valve is provided with an actuation member having an actuation force of less than 50 N, preferably between 20 a 35 N. It has been determined that the use of valves and actuating members which have low opening and acting forces respectively, allows the most versatile distribution of frozen aerated products producing the user's ability to operate the valve with a single hand or even a single finger In a preferred embodiment, the container has at least two compartments (A) and (B) The compartments are hermetically separated from one another by an at least partially movable wall, the compartment (A) contains a propeller, the compartment (B) It contains the frozen aerated product and the compartment. (B) is provided with the valve. Such a two compartment system ensures that the product is always adjacent to the valve. This is desirable when the extremely viscous nature of the frozen aerated products means that the. The investment of the container does not exceed the yield stress of the product and the product does not flow to the valve. In addition the dip tubes that are avoided as the requirement for the product to flow through a long narrow tube, severely reduce the flow rate of the product. In another preferred embodiment the frozen aerated product contains freezing point depressants in an amount between 20% and 40% w / w, preferably above 25%. and between 0% and 15% fat, preferably between 2% and 12%, the freezing point depressants have an average molecular weight number <; M > n that the following condition follows: < M > n = < (330 - 8 * GREASE) g mol "1 wherein GREASE is the fat level in weight percent of the product It was found that frozen aerated products with such a composition are soft and extrudable even at the temperature of a freezer at low Domestic temperature In a particularly preferred embodiment the valve comprises: a valve stem having one or more openings therein, the valve stem having a product outlet, a perforation extended from the product outlet to the openings, and a longitudinal axis, a first member having one or more openings in it, and a second elastically biasing member, one or the other of the valve stem and the first member are slidably and coaxially mountable on or in the other of the valve stem and the first member, the valve stem and the first member are arranged so that in the application of an opening force on one or the other of the valve stem and the first member, the valve stem Vula and the first member slide relative to each other in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the rod and one or more of the openings in the first member are placed in fluid communication with one or more of the openings in the valve stem, the second member is arranged to force the openings in the first member and valve stem out of fluid communication when the opening force is released; characterized in that the ratio R is less than 2.0, preferably less than 1.1, more preferably R is less than 0.1. Preferably also, the second member comprises one or more springs. An examination of known aerosol valves has shown that the ratio R is always much greater than 2. For example, for the valves described in Figure 4 of US 3,780,913, R is about 11.6; in the valves described in Figure 1 of US 6,149,077, R is about 10.6. Even in valves designed to allow high discharge speeds, such as the EM8 valve from Coster Aerosol Ltd (Stevenage, UK) which is similar in design to the valve shown in the figure of the present application, R is not less than about of 3.7. It has been found that using such designs with an Ab value large enough to distribute a frozen aerated product results in a high value of A, and therefore a large opening force thereby makes the system undesirable to use. When R is less than 2.0 a valve can be provided with a sufficiently high flow velocity and an acceptable opening force. It was found that valves where R is less than 0.1, more preferably less than 0.05, and optimally less than 0.01 are particularly advantageous when the opening force is then substantially, if not completely, independent of the pressure and rheology of a product that the valve is arranged to distribute. In another preferred embodiment, the openings in both the first member and the valve stem which are placed in fluid communication until the application of an opening force are located within the body of the container while in fluid communication. The advantage of requiring that the openings be in fluid communication within the body of the container is that in the event of damage to externally protruding parts of the valve either in use or in transit, the frozen aerated product should be retained within the container. In a preferred embodiment, in the absence of the applied opening force, the second member is substantially free of contact with the aerated product frozen in the container. Preferably also, in the presence of the applied opening force, the second member is substantially free of contact with the aerated product frozen in the container. It has been determined that in some cases, the interaction of a frozen product with the second member can affect the ease with which a valve can be opened, especially when the product has a high viscosity so that it affects the ability of the second member to deviate. In another preferred embodiment, the second member is located completely within the body of the container. The location of the second member in such a way ensures that. its operation is not hindered in the case of damage to externally protruding parts of the valve either in use or in transit. In yet another preferred embodiment, the valve is provided with an actuator member comprising: a first portion and a second portion, the second portion hingedly articulated to the first portion, the second portion arranged to apply force to one or the other of the rod of valve and the first member in the application of a force to it by a user. Preferably, the second portion of the actuation member has a first end and a second end, the first end is attachable to a joint in the first portion of the member. actuation, and the second end is free, wherein the ratio of the distance from the articulation of the actuation member to the free end of the second portion is approximately three to eight times, preferably five to seven times, the distance from the joint to a central longitudinal axis of the valve stem. . . Such actuating member is particularly advantageous due to the multiplication of the actuating force resulting from the use of a lever that allows the valves to be used where the valve has a high opening force without disturbing the user requiring a high actuating force. . The length of the lever should be limited, however, to prevent the actuating member from becoming too large and therefore impractical to use and store, especially in applications where the container is held in one hand and the valve actuated , with the same hand. A second object of the present invention is to provide a valve comprising: a valve stem having one or more openings in it, the valve stem has a product outlet, an extended perforation of the product outlet to the openings and- a longitudinal axis; a first member who has one or more openings in it; and a second elastically biasing member; one or the other of the valve stem and the first member are slidably and coaxially mountable on or in the other of the valve stem and the first member; the valve rod and the first member are arranged so that in the application of an opening force in one or the other of the valve rod and the first member, the valve rod and the first member slide relative to each other in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the valve stem and one or more of the openings in the first member are placed in fluid communication with one or more of the openings in the valve stem, the second member is arranged to force the openings in the first limb and valve stem out of fluid communication when the opening force is released; characterized in that the ratio R is less than 2.0, preferably less than 1.1. Preferably also, the second member comprises one or more springs. Preferably, with the valve in a closed position, one or the other of the valve stem and the first member to which the opening force is applied is insulated from any pressure greater than the atmospheric pressure acting in a direction opposite to that of the force of opening, so that R is less than 0.1, more preferably less than 0.05 and optimally less than 0.01. Because the valve stem and the first member slide relative to each other in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis, the valve is provided for efficient filling through the valve, when the flow direction of a product is then parallel with the movement of the valve during the opening. Preferably the rod has a base portion and the rod bore extends longitudinally through the base portion of the rod. The advantage of having a valve stem with the perforation extended through the base portion is that the area of the base portion is minimized so that in situations where the opening force is applied to the rod and where the base portion is in contact with the internal pressure of the container, the area Ap, is kept to a minimum. A further object of the present invention is to provide a valve for distributing a product from a pressurized container, the valve comprising: a first piece which is fixedly unible to the container; a second piece which is coaxially translatable on or in the first piece; a valve seat positioned between the first and second parts and defining a closure, the valve seat is within the body of the container; and a perforation -extended from the seat to a product outlet; the valve can be opened by coaxial translation of the second piece on or in the first piece in an opening direction; characterized because the total surface area (m) of the second piece on which the internal pressure of the container acts in a direction opposite to the opening direction is less than 30% of the cross-sectional area of the perforation (Ab). Because the valve can be opened by coaxial translation, the valve is provided for more efficient filling through the valve than the rotatable valves, when the direction of flow of a product can be parallel with the movement of the valve during, the opening. Preferably, the total surface area (Ap,) of the second piece on which the internal pressure of the container acts in a direction opposite to the direction of opening is less than 10%, more preferably less than 5% and optimally less than 1. % of the cross-sectional area of the perforation (Ab) when the opening force is then substantially, if not completely, independent of the internal pressure of the container and / or the rheology of the product that the valve is arranged to distribute. In addition, the location of the valve seat within the container ensures that in the event of damage to externally projecting parts of the valve, either in use or in transit, the product should be retained within the container.

In a preferred embodiment the valve further comprises an elastically biasing member (e.g., one or more springs) arranged to apply a closing force to the second part. This arrangement allows an automatic closing of the valve, ie without the need for a user to move the second piece back to a closed position after the actuation. In addition, it is preferable that the resiliently biasing member be within the body of the container so that its operation is not impeded in the event of damage to externally protruding parts of the valve either in use or in transit. Preferably also, the perforation comprises one or more inlet orifices and extends from the inlet orifices to the product outlet. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the inlet holes of the bore are arranged so that the direction of product flow in the bore during the distribution is substantially perpendicular to the direction of opening. By "substantially perpendicular" it is meant that the direction of the product flow is within 20 °, preferably within 10 ° and more preferably within 5 ° of the perpendicular. Such an arrangement allows the design of the valve seat (and thus the area p,) to be varied substantially, if not completely, regardless of the flow velocity of the product in the borehole.

It is also preferred that the perforation be located within the second part. The valve is particularly suitable for distribution. the aerated product frozen in a container as described herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES The present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying figures in which: Figure 1 is a sectional view of a conventional aerosol valve; Figure lb is a sectioned elevation of the valve stem of the. figure . . . The figure is an orthographic projection on a plane normal to the direction of the opening force of the valve stem of the figures la and lb; Figure 2 is a schematic sectional view of an aerosol can for use in an embodiment of the invention; Figure 3a is a sectional view of a valve in the closed position in accordance with one embodiment of the invention; Figure 3b is a perspective view of the valve of Figure 3a; Figure 4a is an elevation of. a valve rod for use in a valve that includes the present invention; Figure 4b is a plan view of the rod of Figure 4a; Figure 4c is a section through the valve stem of Figures 4a and 4b; Figure 4d is a perspective view of the rod of Figures 4a-4c; Figure 5a is a plan view of the housing of a valve apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; Figure 5b is an elevation of the housing of Figure 5a; Figure 5c is a sectional view of the housing of Figures 5a and 5b; Figure 5d is a perspective view of the housing of Figures 5a-5c; Figure 6a is a plan view of a component of the valve of Figure 3; Figure 6b is a sectioned elevation of the component of Figure 6a along the line A-A; Figure 6c is a perspective view of the component of Figure 6a and 6b; Figure 7 is a sectioned elevation of a valve cup for use in an embodiment of the invention; Figures 8a and 8b are elevations of an actuator for use in accordance with one embodiment of the invention; Figure 8c is a plan view of the actuator of Figures 8a and 8b; Figure 8d is a sectional view of the actuator of Figures 8a-8c; Figure 9a is a sectional elevation of an alternative valve in accordance with one embodiment of the invention; Figure 9b is a section through the stem of the valve of Figure 9a; Figure 9c is an orthographic projection on a plane normal to the direction of the opening force of the valve stem of Figure 9b; Figure 9d is a perspective view of the valve stem of Figures 9b and 9c; Figure 10 is a sectioned elevation of an additional valve in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention will be further described with reference to the. following examples and preferred embodiments.

The figure shows a conventional aerosol valve (2) having a valve rod (4) slidably and coaxially mounted in a valve housing (6) and equipped with a spring (8) to act on the rod (4) . The housing (6) is mounted on a valve cup (10) which, in use, is connectable to an aerosol can (not shown). Figure lb shows that the rod (4) consists of a tubular section (12) closed at one end by a circular end portion (14). A plurality of slits or openings (16) are located in the wall of the tubular section (12.) above the end portion (14) -. A perforation (15) extends longitudinally from the product outlet (18) to the openings 816). Below the end portion (14) extends longitudinally a projection (13) which is arranged to locate the spring (8). The housing (6) has a stepped internal bore (19) extending longitudinally therethrough, the diameter of the bore at one end being greater than the diameter of the bore at the other end. A plurality of slits or openings (20) are located in the base of the housing (6) so that the base (14) and outgoing portion (13) of the rod are constantly in contact with any pressurized product in the can to which the valve is attached. A rod seal (17) is located in the internal bore (19) of the housing (6) between the upper part of the end portion (14) of the rod (4) and the valve cup (10). When mounted in the valve housing (6), the spring (8) forces the end portion (14) of the rod (4) against the base of the rod seal, which forms a valve seat (26), (17) so that the slits or openings (16) in the wall of the tubular section (12) of the rod (4) are covered by the rod seal (17) and any product and / or propellant in the can to which the valve meets escapes. In the application of an opening force, the rod (4) is pressed to compress the spring (8) against its natural deviation, the slits or openings (16) in the rod moving in the larger diameter section of the bore (19) extended through the housing so that the slits or openings (16) are not covered and the product can travel through the housing bore (19) and through the holes and openings (16) in the rod and through the perforation (15) and exit (18) in this. The housing (6) can be formed with a dip tube (22) to extend from the valve stem to the bottom of the can to which the valve joins to allow distribution of the product without the need to invert the can .

The valve cup (10) is sealed on a can in use with a gasket (24) positioned between the outer surface of the valve cup and the outer surface of the bore of the bore in which the valve cup is located, to prevent the product and propellant from leaking. In addition to the pressure in the can and the viscosity of the product to be distributed, the dimensions of the shank (4), such as the length of the shank (4), the diameter of the perforation (15) of the shank (4), and the The size of the holes or slits (16) determine the flow velocity of the product through the valve in the situation where the housing contains large slits or openings so that the flow of product through the housing is not unduly restricted. The larger the area (Ab) of the cross section of the perforation (15) on a plane normal to the direction of flow, the higher the velocity through the rod (4). The longer the perforation (15), the lower the flow velocity. Therefore, it is common practice in aerosol valves designed to allow the distribution of viscous products to maximize the cross-sectional area Ab. In conventional aerosol valves such as those shown in the figure there is a relationship between the cross-sectional area Ab of the bore (15) and the force required to open the valve. In the system of figure 1, the magnitude of the opening force required to press the rod (4) so that the openings (16) are not covered is determined not only by the force required to compress the spring (8) but also by the force due to the pressure of the product inside the can that acts on the valve stem (4). The contribution of the product pressure to the magnitude of the opening force is proportional to the area of an orthographic projection Am on a plane normal to the direction of the opening force, of those solid portions of the rod (4) in which, With the valve in a closed position, the pressure inside the can acts in a direction opposite to the direction of the opening force. The figure shows a orthographic projection of the valve stem (4) in figures la and lb on a plane normal to the direction of the opening force. The area Ap, in this case is that of the end position (14) and • the projection (13) which is equivalent to the cross-sectional area of the circular end portion (14) alone. Due to the function of the end portion (14) in the formation of a seal with the rod seal (17) in conventional valves such as that shown in Fig. 1, it is necessary that the cross-sectional area of the circular end portion (14) and therefore the area m, is much larger than the cross sectional area Ab of the perforation (15). Accordingly, in conventional valves, the ratio R (= Ap, / Ab) is always greater than two and the opening force increases when the diameter of the perforation (18) increases. Figure 2 shows a type of compartmentalized can suitable for dispensing a frozen aerated product in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. The can (30) is equipped with a valve (32) that is described later and an actuating member (33). A piston (34) separates the can into two compartments, the upper compartment (36) contains the product to be distributed in use and the lower compartment (38) contains compressed air, nitrogen or another form of gaseous or liquefied propellant. In manufacturing, the propeller could be forced into the lower compartment (38) through a hole (39) in the base of the can (30) sealed by a rubber stopper (not shown) and the product to be distributed, it could be forced through the valve (32) in the upper compartment (36) of the can (30). Figures 3 to 7 show a valve according to a preferred embodiment of the invention comprising a rod section (40), a housing (42), a base section. { 44), a resilient member (46), for example one or more springs, a first seal (48), a valve cup (50), a cup seal (52), a second seal (54) and a third seal (49) The rod section (40) has a first substantially straight tubular section (56) which is connected to a second conical section (58). The second conical section (58) increases in diameter to a third section (59) which is substantially cylindrical and has a substantially constant diameter. The first section (56) has a product outlet (64) and a base portion (68). A plurality of apertures (66) is located in the. first section (56). A longitudinally extending perforation (65) extends from the product outlet (64) to the openings (66). The third section (59) contains a slot (62) for receiving the second seal (54), which preferably is formed of rubber having a low vitreous transition temperature so that it is. deformable at temperatures of a freezer at low domestic temperature. The glass transition temperature of the rubber is preferably below -40 ° C, more preferably below -50 ° C. The housing (42) comprises a first portion (70) and a second portion (72). The first and second portions are comprised of a plurality of coaxial annular sections of varying external diameters, the internal diameters are substantially constant. The first and second portions (70), (72) are spaced apart axially and are coaxially aligned. The first and second portions (70), (72) are joined by a plurality of support columns (74), for example four columns. The columns (74) are essentially equally spaced in a circular configuration so that the openings or slits (75) are formed between the columns (74). The outer surface of the first portion (70) contains a number of grooves (76) to receive the first seal (48), which is preferably formed of rubber having a low vitreous transition. The outer surface of the second portion (72) is essentially cylindrical at the base of the columns (74) and then increases in diameter in a stepped manner, ending in a conical section (79) having a diameter which decreases to the base of the accommodation (80). The first rubber seal (48) fits on the outside of the first portion (70) to provide a loose seal to the tubular section (56) of the rod section (40). The exterior of the seal (48) is formed to seal • the valve cup (50) in which the valve system (32) is retained in use. The second rubber seal (54) provides a seal between the third section of the rod (59) and the second portion of the housing (72). The base section (44) comprises two cylindrical sections (82), (84), the first cylindrical section (82) forms a disc. There is a short tubular section (-83) extending around the outer periphery of the first cylindrical section (82) and projecting upwards from the upper face thereof. The second section (84) of the base section (44) is coaxially aligned with the first section (82), the second section (84) has a larger diameter than the first section (82). The second section (84) joins the tubular section (83) only below the upper edge of the tubular section (83) in such a manner to form an annular cavity (91). The annular cavity (91) is formed to receive the third rubber seal. { 49) which is preferably formed of a rubber with a low vitreous transition. The second section (84) has a number of sections cut out equally spaced (86), for example four sections cut out. The radially externally projecting retaining clips (90) extend from the upper peripheral edge of each of the plurality of cut-out sections (86). The tubular section (83) has an axial bore (92) extended through it, the bore is closed at one end by the upper surface of the first section (82). A short cylindrical section (88) is located centrally on the upper surface of the first section (82). The resilient member (46), which comprises for example one or more coil springs, is located in the perforation (92) of the base section (44) and projects through it. The stem section (40) of the valve system (32) is positioned so that it sits coaxially on the base section (44) with the resilient member (46) projecting at the lower end of the rod section (40). ). The short cylindrical section (88) is arranged to locate a free end of the resilient member (46) centrally within the bore (92) of the tubular section (83). The other end of the resilient member (46) contacts a plurality of protrusions (95) extended downwardly of the second conical section (58) and / or the base portion (68) of the rod section (40). The housing (42) sits on the first section (56) of the rod section (40) so that the rod section (40) projects through the bore in the first portion (70) of the housing (42). ), and the second portion (72) of the housing (42). it fits in the annular cavity (91) of the base section. { 44) so that the conical section (79) formed in the base of the housing (42) is held under the retaining clips (90) of the base section (44). The third rubber seal (49) forms a seal between the base of the housing (80) and the base section (44). The lower portion of the rod section (40) slides within the second portion of the housing (72) with the second rubber seal (54) forming a moving seal between the rod (40) and the second. Orción del Alojamiento (72). The second conical section (58) of the rod section - (40) is pushed against the inner surface of the first seal (48) on the housing (42) by the resilient member (46). As shown in figure 7, the valve cup (50) is similar in design to the standard cup (10) used in conventional aerosol systems and is described and illustrated in Figure 1, the only difference is that the diameter of the opening in which the apparatus The valve is located longer in the valve cup for use with the embodiments of the present invention than the corresponding opening diameter in conventional devices. In operation, in the closed position, the openings (66) in the rod (40) are sealed from the product compartment (36) of the container to which the valve assembly (32) is joined by means of the first seal (48), which forms a valve seat (48a). The application of an opening force to the rod (40) slides the rod longitudinally downwards towards the base section (44), causing the compression of the resilient member (46) against its natural deviation, and moving the second conical section (56) of the shank (40) away from the first seal (48) establishing a fluid communication through the openings (66) in the shank (40) and the openings (75) between the columns. { 74) in the housing (42) allowing the product in the can to pass through the openings, in the bore (65) in the rod (40) and out of the outlet of the rod (64).

It will be appreciated that, with the valve in the closed position, the rod section (40) is isolated from the pressure in the can by acting in a direction opposite to that of the opening force. Therefore the value R for the valve shown in Figures 2 to 7 is zero. Due to the positioning of the second seal (54) and third seal (49) the resilient member (46) is isolated from the product and pressure in the container with the valve in a closed position. In addition, the base portion (68) of the rod section ensures that the resilient member (46) is substantially free of contact with the product at all times. However, it is desirable that the base portion (68) contain one or more pores. { 69) to avoid the problems associated with the compression of air under the base portion (68) during the opening of the valve. It has been found that two pores. { 69) which are round 0.2 mm in diameter are sufficient to eliminate the problems associated with air compression while being sufficiently small to keep the resilient member (46) substantially free of product in the presence of an applied opening force, is say, during filling and use. When the valve is opened, the pressurized product is in contact with the upper surfaces of the base portion (68) and the conical section (58) of the rod (40) and therefore exerts a downward force on the rod (40). This can cause undesirable resistance to closing the valve and thus it is desirable to use a resilient member with a spring constant greater than that of the resilient members used in conventional valves. Such a greater spring constant can be achieved, for example, by the use of two helical springs acting in parallel as shown in Figure 3a. In use, when attached to the aerosol can, an actuator fits over the valve assembly (32), as shown in Figure 8. The actuator assembly comprises a first section (100) formed to adjust the upper part of the can, the first section (100) has a central opening. The actuator assembly additionally comprises a second section (102) hingedly mounted about a hinge (103) over the central opening in the first section (100), the second section (102) having an actuating lever (104) radially projected from the joint (103). The first and second sections (100), (102) and the joint (103) can be formed integrally - in a single unit. A nozzle (106) extends through the central opening of the first section (100) and has a bore which is in fluid communication with the product outlet (64) of the stem (40) of the valve assembly (32). ). When the actuator is fitted over the valve of Figures 3-7, the lower face of the second section (102) of the actuator assembly rests on the upper part of the projection on the nozzle (106). The application of an actuation force to the actuation lever (104) causes the second section (102) of the actuator assembly to move about its link (103) to the first section (100) of the actuator assembly. The nozzle (106) and the valve stem (40) are thereby forced down, opening the valve and allowing the product to pass through the rod section (40) and out through the nozzle. (106). When the actuation lever (104) is released, the resilient member (46) forces the rod (40) upwards to close the valve and returns the actuator and valve to its closed position. In a preferred embodiment, the ratio of the distance from the joint (103) to the edge of the lever (104) is approximately three to eight times the distance from the joint (103) to the center of the valve stem (40), so that the actuation force is one-third to one-eighth the opening force of the valve. Figure 9 shows a further embodiment of a valve according to the present invention comprising a stem section (240), a housing (242), a base section (244), a resilient member (246), for example a spring , a first seal (248), a valve cup (250), a cup seal (252) and a second seal (254). The rod section (240) has a first substantially straight tubular section (256) which is connected to a second conical section (258). The second conical section (258) increases in diameter to a third section (259) which is substantially cylindrical and has a substantially constant diameter. Attached to the third section (259) is a fourth substantially conical section (262) whose diameter decreases so that the conical section is tapered to the base portion (267) of the rod section (240). A longitudinally extended perforation (265) extends from a product outlet (264) through the four sections (256), (258), (259), (262) and the end portion (267) of the section of stem (240). A plurality of openings (266) is located in the first tubular section (256). The housing (242) comprises a first portion (270) and second portion (272). The first and second portions (270), (272) are joined by a plurality of support columns (274), for example four columns, extended between the two portions (270), (272). The columns (274) are essentially equally spaced in a circular configuration, so that the openings or slits (275) are formed between the columns (274). The first rubber seal (248) fits on the outside of the first portion (270) to provide a movable seal to the tubular section (256) of the rod section (240) .The exterior of the seal (248) is form for sealing the valve cup (250) in which the valve system is retained in use.A plurality of projections (294) is located in a bore (292) of a central post in the base portion (244) and arranges to retain a free end of the resilient member (246). The second cylindrical seal (254) extends around the outer periphery of the central post on the base portion (244). The resilient member (246), which may be for example a helical spring, is located in the perforation ('292) of the base section (244) and projects through it. The rod section (240) is positioned so that it sits on the base section (244) with the resilient member (246) projecting at the lower end of the rod section (240). The lower portion of the stem section (240) slides over the seal (254) in the base section (244) so that the seal (254) and the center post of the base section (244) are located within the perforation (265) of the rod section (240). The other end of the resilient member (246) makes contact with a plurality of protrusions (295) extended in the borehole (265) of the rod section (240) from the second conical section (258) and / or the third cylindrical section (259), towards the base of the rod section (240). The housing (242) is seated on the first section (256) of the rod section (240) so that the rod section (240) projects through the bore in the first portion (270) of the housing (242). ), and the second portion (272) of the housing (242) is adjusted in the base section (244) so that the base of the housing (280) is held under the retaining clips (290) of the base section (244) . The second conical section (258) of the rod section (240) is pushed against the inner surface of the seal (248) on the housing (242) by the resilient member (246). In operation, in the closed position, the openings (266) in the first tubular section (256) of the rod (240) are sealed from the pressurized product which valve - is arranged to distribute by means of the seal (248), which forms a valve seat (284a). The depression of the rod (240) towards the base section (244), causes compression of the resilient member (246) against its natural deviation, and moves the second conical section (256) of the rod (240) away from the seal (248) establishing a fluid communication to through the openings (266) in the rod (240) and the openings (275) between the columns (274) in the housing (242) allowing the product in the can to pass, through the apertures, into the perforation (2-65) in the rod (240) and out of the rod outlet (264). Figure 9c shows a orthographic projection of the rod (240) on a plane normal to the direction of the opening force. The area p, is the area in the orthographic projection of those solid portions of the rod (240), mainly the fourth conical section (262) and the base portion (267), in which with the valve in a closed position the pressure of the The product to be distributed acts in a direction opposite to the direction of the opening force. The ratio R for the valve shown in Figure 9 can therefore be calculated to be about 1.03. A further alternative embodiment of a valve according to the invention is shown in Figure 10. In this embodiment, a cylindrical rod section (300) is sealed in the valve cup (310) of an aerosol can (320), the rod section (300) has a perforation (322) extended from a product outlet- (324) to an opening (323) in the base portion of the stem. An actuating lever • (340) is attached to a cylindrical cover section (327) which. it is slidably and coaxially mounted on the rod body (300). A nozzle (342) is in fluid communication with an opening (238) on the side of the cover (327). A spring (344) mounted on the cover section (327) below the lever (340) and the nozzle (342) rests on the upper face of the valve cup (310) and a cover (350) fits over the upper part of the rod (300) retaining the cover (327) and spring (344). In use, the cover (327) is held against the lid (350) by the spring (344) and the cover (327) covers the opening (324) in the rod (300) thereby preventing the product from flowing through and out of the rod (300). A rubber O-ring (326) forms a seal between the rod (300) and cover (327), thus providing a valve seat (326a). The depression of the lever (340) forces the cover to slide under the stem (300) against the deflection of the spring (344) so that the opening (328) of the cover (327) coincides with the outlet (324) in the rod (300) and the product is able to flow through it. When the lever (340) is released, the spring (344) returns the cover (327) to its rest position, closing the outlet (324) on the rod (300) and preventing the additional flow of product. In the embodiment shown in figure 10 the opening force is applied to the cover (327). As there are no solid parts of the cover in which the pressure of a product to be distributed acts in a direction opposite to that of the opening force, then R is zero. Accordingly, the opening force of the valve in Figure 10 is greatly determined by the resistance of the spring (344).

In a preferred embodiment of the valve shown in Figures 3 to 7, the valve including the housing, stem section, and base section is formed by injection molding. Preferred examples of the dimensions for the various sections illustrated in Figures 3 to 7 are described below: Vase section Vessel section length (40) about 31.28 mm Tubular section first length (56) about 18.78 mm Length of second conical section (58) about .1.5 mm-Length of third cylindrical section (59) about 11.0 mm External diameter of first tubular section (56) about 12 mm Internal diameter of first tubular section (56) about 10 mm Height of openings (66). about 5 mm Distance between bottom of openings and top of second conical section (58) about 0.5 mm Width of openings (66) about 8 mm External diameter of third cylindrical section (59) about 14.5 mm Internal diameter of third cylindrical section (59) about 10.5 mm Groove height (62) in third cylindrical section (59) about 1.2 mm Depth of groove (62) in third cylindrical section (59) about 0.5 mm Distance between bottom of third cylindrical section (59) and bottom of groove (62) about 1 mm Housing Length of columns (74) about 7.22 mm Internal diameter of first portion (70) about 11.5 mm Internal diameter of second portion (70) about 15 mm Base section Total height of base section (44) around 13.73 mm Height of second section (84) about 9.5 mm Diameter of first section (82) about 14.76 mm External diameter of second section (84) about 23.5mm Inner diameter of second section (84) about 21 mm Distance from annular cavity base (91) to lower edge of retaining fasteners (90) about 2.77 mm Therefore it is considered that the valves described above can be used advantageously to distribute a frozen aerated product, such as a soft ice cream, still in the typical temperature range of a domestic freezer, for example, between -18 to -22 ° C. The embodiments of the valve systems shown in Figures 3 and 9 are particularly advantageous when the valve is substantially contained within the container in the assembled state. In the valve shown in Figure 10, the opening (328) in the cover (327) is external to the body of the container (320). In this way this is. even when the valve is opened so that the opening (328) in the cover (327) is in fluid communication with the opening (323) in the rod (300). Accordingly, the valve seat (326a) .. is external to the body of the container (320) and in the case of damage to the externally protruding parts of the valve shown in Figure 10, the valve may be unable to retain the product. aerated frozen inside the container. Variations to the modalities described above are possible which are within the scope of the invention. For example, the dimensions of the components of the valve assembly given above are preferred dimensions, but one or more of these dimensions may be varied. In addition, the valve systems illustrated in Figures 2 to 10 are particularly advantageous for use in the distribution of a frozen aerated product having the following composition: Freezing Point Depressants in an amount of between 20% and 40% p / p, preferably above 25%, and between 0% and 15% fat, preferably between 2% and 12%, the freezing point depressants having an average molecular weight number < M > n follow the following condition: < M > n = < - 8 GREASE + 330 where GREASE is the level of fat in percent by weight of the product. Freezing point depressants can be made at least at a level of 98% (w / w) of mono, di and oligosaccharides. In a preferred embodiment, the frozen aerated product contains less than 0.5% (w / w) of glycerol, preferably less than 0.25% (w / w), even more preferably less than 0.1% (w / w). Preferably, the frozen aerated product has a swelling of less than 150%, more preferably less than 140%, and preferably more than 80%. In an alternative preferred embodiment, the frozen aerated product has a swelling of more than 150%, and preferably more than 170%. The average molecular weight is preferably below 250, more preferably below 230. In a particularly preferred embodiment, - the frozen aerated product is contained in a container of the type shown in Figure 2, the container has at least two compartments hermetically separated one of the other by at least one partially movable wall, one compartment contains a propeller and the other compartment contains the frozen aerated product and has a valve apparatus of the type shown in Figures 3 to 7. The types of container suitable for use in The present invention includes those known as piston cans, can tins and valve bags.

Example 1 Formulation Skim Milk Powder 10.00 Coconut Oil 10.00 Dextrose 14.60 Low Fructose Corn Syrup 08.90 Sucrose 01.20 Monoglyceride Emulsifier 00.70 Acetic Acid Esters 00.40 LBG 00.20 Vanilla Flavor 00.02 Water 53.98 (Freezing Point Depressant Solids 27.7) ( < M > n (g mol "1) 225) All concentrations are in% (w / w) The specialized materials were as follows: LBG was Viscogum FA supplied by Degussa Texturant Systems, France The monoglyceride emulsifier was ADMUL MG 40-04 supplied by Quest International, Bromborough Port, United Kingdom The acetic acid ester of monoglyceride was Grinsted ACETEM 50-00 A supplied by Danisco Cultor, Wellingborough, UK - Low Fructose Corn Syrup was C * TruSweet 017Y4, had a moisture level of 22%, an ED of 63 and was supplied by Cerester, Manchester, United Kingdom.

Valve The valves used in this example were similar to those shown in Figures 3 to 7 where the internal diameter of the first tubular section (56) of the rod section (40) was 10 mm. The rod section (40) was molded by injection of POM (polyoxymethylene; Hostaform "C27021 supplied by Ticona GmbH, Frankfurt, Germany.) The housing (42) was molded by injection of PP (polypropylene) containing 20% glass fiber (Piolen® -P-G20 CA67 supplied by PiO Kunststoffe GmbH, Freiburg, Germany). The end section (44) was molded by injection of POM (Hostaform ™ C9021). The first seal (48) was molded from TPE (thermoplastic elastomer; Santoprene® 271-55EU supplied by Advanced Elastomer Systems, Akron, Ohio) having a glass transition temperature below -60 ° C. The second and third seals (54), (49) were formed of standard food grade silicone rubber. The resilient member (46) comprised two helical steel springs that act on. parallel as illustrated in Figure 3a. When the springs were mounted coaxially, one inside the other, as shown in figure 3a, it was necessary that one of the springs had a right spiral while the other had a left spiral to avoid the possibility of the springs becoming entangled each. Both springs were made of stainless steel and each had a length of 40 mm in the uncompressed state. The internal spring had a diameter of 5.85 mm and was formed of 0.9 mm thick wire. The external spring had a diameter of 8.45 mm and was formed of 1.3 mm thick wire. When the valve was in the closed position the springs were compressed to a length Ll of 24 mm. When the valve was fully opened the springs were compressed to a length L2 of 19 mm. The forces exerted by the springs when compressed to Ll were, of 60 N. for the internal spring and 30 N for the external spring. The forces exerted by the springs when compressed to L2 were 80 N for the internal spring and 40 N for the external spring. Accordingly, the resilient member 46 exerted a force of 90 N on the valve stem (40) in the closed position and a force of 120 N in the open position.

Container Aluminum spray cans of the piston type. { Cebal, Barcelona, Spain) were used (686 ml of filling capacity to the edge, 18 bar of buckling pressure). These cans had a wall cleaning piston (150 ml volume, giving a maximum product volume of 536 ml) and a hole to accommodate a bottom plug. Prior to use, an insulating adhesive label was applied to the body of each can. The labels used were of the expanded polystyrene type [FoamTac II S2000. (Avery Dennison Group, Pasadena, California, USA)] and had a thickness of about 150 μm and a thermal conductivity of about 0.03 W m "1 K" 1 to 273K (0 ° C).

Mixed Process All ingredients except fat and emulsifiers were combined in a stirred hot mixing tank. The grease was melted and the emulsifiers were added to the liquid fat prior to pouring into the mixing tank. Once all the ingredients were mixed together,. the mixture was subjected to high shear mixing at a temperature of 65 ° C for 2 minutes.

Homogenization and Pasteurization The mixture was passed through a homogenizer at 150 bar and 70 ° C and then pasteurized at 83 ° C for 20 s before being rapidly cooled to 4 ° C by passing through a heat exchanger of plates.

Aging The mixture was kept at 4 ° C for 5 hours in a stirred tank prior to freezing.

Gasification Before joining the valves, a positive air pressure was applied to the bottom hole of each can to ensure that the piston is pushed to the bottom. The valves were then fixed on the cans in the usual manner to produce a gas-tight seal. The cans were then gassed to the bottom at 1.8 barg with compressed air and simultaneously capped using a Pamasol P593 X two-chamber propeller filler (DH Industries, Laindon, Essex, UK).

Freezing The formulation was frozen using a typical ice cream freezer (scraped surface heat exchanger, SSHE) operating with an open agitator (series 80), a mixing flow rate of 150 1 / hour, an extrusion temperature of - 9 ° C and a swelling (at atmospheric pressure) of 135%.

Refilling From the freezer, the ice cream was fed directly into an aerosol dispensing chamber (DH Industries, Laindon, Essex, UK) at a line pressure of 10.5 barg. When it was filled, the dosing chamber was then pressurized to 60 barg (by means of an intensifier) and a known volume of ice cream was injected through the valve into the can. The injected volume was about 512 ml at the line pressure of 10.5 barg, producing a final can pressure of about 10 barg at -10 ° C. Each valve was then equipped with an actuator as illustrated in the figure 8, where the relationship of distance from the joint (103) at the edge of the lever (104) was six times the distance from the joint (103) to the center of the rod (40). The cans were then transferred to a warehouse at -25 ° C for hardening and storage.

Storage The cans were stored at -25 ° C for 1 week and then annealed either at -18 ° C or -22 ° C for 24 hours before use.

Final Product The flow velocity of the valve was 15.2 ± 0.8 gs "1. The opening force of the valve was 155 ± 12 N, which, when equipped with an actuator, produced an actuating force of around 25 N. This system was easy to use with a single hand and was found to be ideal for applying the frozen aerated product to desserts and beverages directly from the removal of a freezer at a low domestic temperature.

Example 2 A frozen aerated product was prepared in a container with an identical formulation and in a manner identical to that described in Example 1 with the exception that a different valve was used. The valves used in this example were similar to those shown in Figure 9 where the internal diameter of the first tubular section (256) of the rod section (240) was 10 mm. The resilient member (246) comprised a single helical steel spring made of stainless steel having a length of 25 mm in the uncompressed state. The spring had a diameter of 7 mm and was formed of 1 mm thick wire. When the valve was in the closed position the spring was compressed to a length Ll of 17 mm. When the valve was fully opened the spring was compressed to a length L2 of 11 mm. The force exerted by the spring when compressed to Ll was 45 N and when compressed to L2 it was 75 N. The flow velocity of the valve was 14.7 ± 2.7 gs "1. The opening force of the valve was 290 ± 100 N, which, when equipped with an actuator, produced an actuating force of around 48 N. The larger opening and actuating forces for the valve in this example compared to those in Example 1 are a consequence of the R value greater, ie 1.03 for the valves used in this example compared to zero for the valves used in example 1. In addition, the fact that the spring (246) was in the open perforation (264) of the valves in example 2 and therefore was not isolated from the frozen product in the presence of an applied opening force, resulted in the frozen product interacting with the spring (246) causing variable operation as demonstrated by the large confidence interval cited above for the opening force. It is noted that in relation to this date, the best method known to the applicant to carry out the aforementioned invention is that which is clear from the present description of the invention.

Claims (27)

1. CLAIMS Having described the invention as above, the contents of the following claims are claimed as property: • 5 1. Aerated product frozen in a container, the frozen aerated product is under a pressure of between 4 and 18 barg, the container is provided with a valve; characterized in that the valve has a flow velocity 0 of above 6 gs "1, preferably between 10 and 30 gs" 1. .
2. 2. Frozen aerated product in a container according to claim 1, characterized in that the valve comprises a constriction having a cross-sectional area of less than 200 mm2, preferably between 5 30 and 150 mm2.
3. 3. Aerated product frozen in a container according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the valve has an opening force of less than 300 N, preferably between 20 and 200 N. 0
4. 4. Aerated product frozen in a container of according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the valve is provided with an actuation member having an actuation force of less than 50 N, preferably between 20 to 35 N. 5
5. 5. Aerated product frozen in a container of according to any of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the container has at least two compartments (A) and (B), the compartments are hermetically separated from each other by at least one partially movable wall, the compartment (A) contains a propeller, the compartment (B) contains the frozen aerated product and the compartment (B) is provided with the valve.
6. 6. A frozen aerated product in a container according to any of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the frozen aerated product contains freezing point depressants in an amount between 20% and 40% w / w, preferably above 25%, and between 0% and 15% fat, preferably between 2% and 12%, the freezing point depressants have an average molecular weight number < M > n that follows the following equation: < M > n = < (330 - 8 * GREASE) g mol "1 wherein GREASE is the fat level in percent by weight of the product
7. 7. Aerated product frozen in a container according to claim 6, characterized in that the freezing point depressants. they have an average molecular weight number of less than 250 g mol "1.
8. 8. Aerated aerated product in a container according to any of claims 1 to 7, wherein the valve comprises: • a valve stem having one or more openings in it, the valve stem has a product outlet, a perforation extended from the product outlet to the openings, and a longitudinal axis; • a first member who has one or more openings in it; and • a second elastically biased member; one or the other of the valve stem and the first member are slidably and coaxially mountable on or in the other of the valve stem and the first member; the valve stem and the first member are arranged so that in the application of an opening force on one or the other of the valve stem and the first member, the valve rod and the first member slide relative to each other in one direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the valve stem, and one or more of the openings in the first member are placed in fluid communication with one or more of the openings in the valve stem, the second member is arranged to force the openings in the first limb and valve stem out of fluid communication when the opening force is released; characterized in that the ratio R is less than 2.0, preferably less than -1.1.
9. 9. Aerated frozen product in a container according to claim 8, characterized in that R is less than 0.1.
10. 10. Aerated product frozen in a container according to claim 8 or claim 9, characterized in that the openings in both the first member and the valve stem which are placed in fluid communication until the application of an opening force are located inside the body of the container while in fluid communication.
11. 11. Aerated aerated product in a container according to any of claims 8 to 10, characterized in that in the absence of the applied opening force, the second member is substantially free of contact with the aerated product frozen in the container.
12. 12. Aerated frozen product in a container according to claim 11, characterized in that in the presence of the applied opening force, the second member is substantially free of contact with the aerated product frozen in the container.
13. 13. Aerated product frozen in a container according to any of claims 8 to 12, characterized in that the second member is located completely within the body of the container.
14. 14. Aerated product frozen in a container according to any of claims 8 to 13, characterized in that the second member comprises one or more springs. Aerated aerated product in a container according to any of claims 8 to 14, characterized in that the valve is provided with an actuating member comprising: a first portion and a second portion, the second portion joins articulated to the first portion, the second portion is arranged to apply force to one or the other of the valve stem and the first member in the application of a force to it by a user. 16. Aerated product frozen in a container according to claim 15, characterized in that the second portion of the actuation member has a first end, and a second end, the first end is unible to a joint in the first portion of the - member of actuation, and the second end is free, wherein the ratio of the distance from the articulation of the actuation member to the free end of the second portion is approximately three to eight times, preferably five to seven times, the distance from the joint to a central longitudinal axis of the valve stem. 17. Valve comprising: • a valve stem having one or more openings in it, the valve stem has a product outlet, an extended perforation of the product outlet to the openings and a longitudinal axis; • a first member who has one or more openings in it; and • a second elastically biased member; one or the other of the valve stem and the first member are slidably and coaxially mountable on or in the other of the valve stem and the first member; the valve rod and the first member are arranged so that in the application of an opening force in one or the other of the valve rod and the first member, the valve rod and the first member slide relative to each other in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the valve stem and one or more of the openings in the first member are brought into fluid communication with one or more of the openings in the valve stem; the second member is arranged to force the openings in the first member and the valve stem out of the fluid communication when the opening force is released; characterized because the ratio R is less than 0.1. 18. Valve according to claim 17, characterized in that R is less than 0.01. Valve according to claim 17 or claim 18, characterized in that the valve is arranged to distribute a product from a pressurized container and the openings in both the first member and the valve stem which are put in fluid communication to the application of an opening force are located within the body of the container while in fluid communication. 20. Valve according to any of claims 17 to 19, characterized in that the second member comprises one or more springs. 21. Valve for distributing a product from a pressurized container, the valve comprises: • a first piece which is fixedly unible to the container; • a second piece which is coaxially portable on or in the first piece; • a valve seat placed between the first and second parts and defining a closure, the valve seat is inside the body of the container; Y • an extended perforation from the seat to a product outlet; the valve can be opened by coaxial translation of the second piece on or in the first piece in an opening direction; characterized because the total surface area (m) of the second piece on which the internal pressure of the container acts in a direction opposite to the opening direction is less than 30% of the cross-sectional area of the perforation (Ab). 22. Valve according to claim 21, characterized in that the total surface area (p,) of the second piece on which the internal pressure of the container acts in a direction opposite to the opening direction is less than 10% of the cross-sectional area of the perforation (Ab) . 23. Valve according to claim 21, characterized in that the total surface area (Am) of the second part on which the internal pressure of the container acts in a direction opposite to the opening direction is less than 5% of the area of cross section of the perforation (Ab). Valve according to claim 21, characterized in that the total surface area (Ap,) of the second part on which the internal pressure of the container acts in a direction opposite to the opening direction is less than 1% of the area cross section of the perforation (Ab). 25. Valve according to any of claims 21 to 24, characterized in that the valve further comprises an elastically biased member arranged to apply a closing force to the second part. 26. Valve in accordance with the claim 25, characterized in that the elastically biasing member is one or more springs. 27. Valve according to claim 25 or claim 2, characterized in that the. Elastically biased member is inside the body of the container.